Missouri Division - Proceedings 2000 Post Earthquake Highway Response and Recovery Seminar

MISSOURI DIVISION 3220 W. Edgewood, Suite H, Jefferson City MO 65109 573-636-7104

PROCEEDINGS OF THE SEPTEMBER 2000 POST EARTHQUAKE HIGHWAY RESPONSE AND RECOVERY SEMINAR HELD IN ST. LOUIS MISSOURI

SPONSORED BY THE MISSOURI DIVISION OF FHWA, THE MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, THE MISSOURI STATE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, THE MID-AMERICA EARTHQUAKE CENTER, AND THE CENTRAL US EARTHQUAKE CONSORTIUM.

Opening Letter by Allen Masuda, Division Administrator, FHWA.

On behalf of the Federal Highway Administration, the Missouri Department of Transportation, and our many other sponsors, welcome to the first national Post Earthquake Highway Response and Recovery Seminar. We have assembled an all-star cast of speakers or what I describe as the "Masters of Disasters," those who have special knowledge and experiences in responding to major disasters and who are willing to share their knowledge and insight with us. Because the New Madrid fault has the potential of unleashing widespread devastation upon our highway and street systems in Mid-America, we are concentrating on earthquakes.

The design, construction, maintenance, and operation of the highway infrastructure is our responsibility. All other modes of travel depend on highways for access. Without highways, they would literally shutdown. So, that is why we should first focus on a Highway Response and Recovery Seminar. There are many stakeholders and there is much to do in preparing to respond to a major highway system disaster. We need to know how we can best act together before we extend our hand to other modes. For a major earthquake in Mid-America, we are not ready to respond in a systematic, coordinated, timely, and effective manner.

When the New Madrid fault lets loose with another series of major earthquakes and aftershocks as it did during the winter of 1811-12, we will see a disaster of a magnitude never seen before in this country. Our population centers continue to grow and because we are socially and economically connected, nationally and globally, we need to be prepared and organized to respond to such a big event. We need to act as a "highway community" and not as individual and independent responding highway agencies. If we don´t prepare and respond together but act individually, we will quickly be overwhelmed by the confusion and sheer magnitude of the destruction inflicted on the highway infrastructure. We cannot wait for a major earthquake to occur and then initiate our planning and coordination process. By then, it will be too late to minimize injury, suffering, subsequent loss of additional life, and loss to out local, state, and national economies.

Much of our response and recovery efforts have been influenced by hurricanes and flooding. For these events, we get several days advanced warning. When the water rises, we are able to travel on the high grounds. When the winds die down and the waters subside, we clean up the debris, replace signs and signals, and repair the bridges and roads. For an earthquake, there is no advanced warning and there are no "high grounds" to take for alternate routes and the ground continues to shake from the aftershocks. We need to prepare, coordinate, and conduct exercises to be ready to swiftly restore or replace hundreds of damaged bridges and thousands of highway embankments and remove thousands of landslides in a systematic and efficient manner. We need to take our disaster response and recovery thinking and preparation to a higher level than where we are today. We need a plan that:

is coordinated and agreed upon with various public agencies including Federal, State, cities, and counties.

facilitates mutual aid agreements to coordinate, exchange or share all of our resources: people, equipment, and materials among the different responding agencies.

focuses all of our combined resources on the most critical highway routes regardless of jurisdictional lines.

recognizes the importance of and considers the highway access needs of the most critical life line services: water, sewer, electric, gas, and communication, including major distribution lines that serve other parts of the country.

assures the many public agencies don´t compete for the services of the same contractors or equipment and materials suppliers.

clearly explains what is needed in using public forces, contracting out work, how the expenses will be documented to withstand audits, and how the final bills will be settled and paid.

is realistic and simple to understand where each individual knows exactly what is expected and acts even though communications may be temporary cut off.

recognizes the safety, special needs, and limitations of individuals in our responding work force.

provides real time and accurate highway and street information to disaster victims and families.

Over the next two and a half days, our speakers will make you realize the importance of being prepared. Enjoy the seminar, network, and develop a personal action plan by taking back to your agencies a list of ideas that you can implement.

Opening Session

Opening Remarks by Allen Masuda

Missouri Welcome by Henry Hungerbeeler

Planning for Disasters by James Roberts

Response & Recovery-an Overview by Jerry Baxter

Interagency Coordination & Response Panel

Fema Operations by Dan Bement

State Sema Response by Charles Cutrell

USDOT Emergency Support Function by Janet Benini

State DOT Response Plan by David Johnson

Sharing State DOT Resources by Bobby Moseley

Department of Defense Assistance by Robert A. Fitton