By Kelly Barnes, A.M.ASCE
Nearly 200 professionals in the field of hurricane response, ecosystem restoration and infrastructure protection gathered in Mobile, Alabama, Nov. 11-14, for the Gulf Coast Hurricane Conference – Preparedness, Response, Recovery and Rebuilding. PIANC USA, along with the Mobile District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and ASCE’s Coasts, Oceans, Ports and Rivers Institute, organized this conference to learn from recent hurricane experiences and to provide technical direction for engineering and environmental challenges. Other objectives of the event were to develop proactive navigation preparedness, response and recovery plans on regional and watershed scales, and to foster inter-agency learning and coordination.
 |
| Members of the COPRI Waterways Committee held a committee meeting during the conference. |
 |
| (l to r) The Honorable John Paul Woodley, Jr., Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) talks with COPRI members Samantha Borer and Bradd Schwichtenberg, of the US Army Corps of Engineers - Jacksonville. |
The four-day conference included technical sessions, field tours, industry exhibits, networking events and more than 65 technical workshops. The COPRI Coastal and River Modeling and Analysis Subcommittee organized a session on Gulf Coast Hurricane Storm Surge Modeling. A special session on Hurricane Ike was added to the program, with presentations by COPRI member Bradd Schwichtenberg, USACE, who witnessed Ike’s destruction in Louisiana, and Dr. Jeffery Waters, USACE, who participated in the COPRI survey in Texas.
During the COPRI presentation, Jeff Waters, P.E., M.ASCE, highlighted the teams' findings. He said that the coastal teams focused on beaches, small buildings, coastal structures, bridges, and other infrastructure and covered the areas from Sabine, including Bridge City for the east to the west as far as Surfside Beach. The survey region included coastal areas on both sides of the hurricane path. Communities both east and west of the eye had significant damage.
Scour was apparent throughout most of the damage areas and floating and wind-blown debris was broadly spread, the COPRI presenters said. Large overwash fans were observed often inland of the first row of houses and the most seaward road. Shorelines that had previously been identified as being beach and dune systems were highly eroded, with flattended or deflated dunes. Utilities and infrastructure exhibited great damage; water and sewer lines have broken, roads have been undermined or buried in sand and debris, telephone and electric lines collapsed. There was a broad variety of building types in the storm area, ranging from older slab-on-grade development, elevated buildings built to early flood standards, to current standards and even some “fortified” homes. In general, structures built to current fortified standards performed fairly well. Community water towers appeard undamaged. The well-built floating docks that were observed were mostly undamaged. Older fixed pier systems typically suffered more damage.
The conference also offered the chance to network with colleagues and visit with industry exhibitors. The Young Professionals Reception (40 and under) brought together more than thirty young professionals to “meet and mingle” with peers and members of the PIANC USA Commissioners. The PIANC USA Chairman, Mr. John Paul Woodley, Jr. (Assistant Secretary of the Army, Civil Works), and the new PIANC USA President, Major General Bo Temple, USACE, attended the conference, and MG Temple presented Mr. Woodley with a commemorative medallion to thank him for his service and leadership of PIANC. This conference was Mr. Woodley’s last official PIANC event before he leaves office in January. He has been a great supporter of PIANC and will be missed.
PIANC USA would like to thank all of our sponsors and cooperating organizations, with a special thanks to the COPRI Waterways Committee for its help with the technical program and “other duties as assigned”. Without the generous support of these industry leaders, we would not be able to provide the industry with opportunities such as these. A complete list of sponsors, exhibitors and cooperating organizations can be found on the conference website (http://www.pianc.iwr.usace.army.mil/gchc08/). All of the presentations will be posted to the website and available for viewing shortly. Thank you to everyone who helped make this event a success!
