Assisting the maritime industry in regulatory compliance

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Hurricane Contingency Plans

Hurricane and Heavy Weather Contingency Plans

Most US Coast Guard Sectors have promulgated hurricane contingency plans or heavy weather contingency plans, intended to provide guidance to the maritime community with regard to preparing for and minimizing disruption caused by severe weather conditions, taking into account different geographic and operational characteristics in each locale. Below is a link to a document providing access to various such plans that I have been able to locate. Sectors not included on this list may well have issued plans that I have yet to locate and retrieve. Sectors may also have issued updated versions of plans that supersede the ones on this list. Please notify me if you are aware of new or updated plans that should be on this list.

Hurricane and Heavy Weather Contingency Plans provides links to all of the Sector contingency plans located to date.

Sector Baltimore produced an excellent 100-page Heavy Weather Guide providing background information and planning advice. While some of the guidance is specific to Sector Baltimore, most is broader in scope.

The National Hurricane Center website includes the latest hurricane weather forecasts.

FEMA – hurricane preparedness provides general information on preparing for the arrival of a hurricane in your vicinity.

    logo11 Interviews on Jones Act issues re oil spill response

    I was interviewed by a reporter for NPR (previously known as National Public Radio) for their "All Things Considered" program. The interview addressed a number of issues regarding the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The only portion of the interview that made it into print and on the air was my discussion of the impact (or non-impact) of the Jones Act on the response to the spill. My comments were taken slightly out of context, but are basically correct. I find it surprising how a few individuals throwing up an obscure statute as the reason that the oil has not been swept from the Gulf of Mexico has gotten so much coverage. (7/10/10).

    Prior to the NPR interview, I was interviewed by a reporter for Florida Public Radio regarding the impact of the Jones Act (and other cabotage laws) on the response to the ongoing Gulf of Mexico oil spill. A report of that interview, with a link to the actual broadcast thereof, is attached. The interview took over 20 minutes and the radio broadcast condensed that down to about two minutes, so numerous details relating to cabotage have been glossed over or omitted. (6/23/10).