2.2
The Criticality of Meteorological Data on Port Operations as Ships are Getting Deeper and Taller
Ed Merkle, United State Coast Guard, Staten Island, NY
The harbor of New York is complex, diverse, dynamic and is a unique port where billions of dollars literally flow through the rivers and under bridges near the critical infrastructure of a major urban environment. The surrounding regions and by further association, the state of New York and the United States realize great benefits from the safe and timely movements of the vessel traffic. Decisions made due to inclement weather conditions can cost a local shipping agent a share of his week’s profit or can influence the price of home heating oil, can delay a shipment of Christmas toys or prevent a commuter from arriving to work in a timely manner, but they are critical to safety, to the integrity of the port and to the facilitation of all commerce. Due to the proximity of the harbor to the littoral region, and the inherent lack of transit time for a large vessel from sea to berth, and the complexity of the transit, the Captain of the Port of New York makes decisions that impact commerce every day. From not allowing a vessel to transit through a narrow zone known as Bergen Point due to high winds to shutting down the harbor completely due to low visibility, measures taken in the name of safety are far-reaching. Ironically, because of the on-going dredge projects in the harbor that will ultimately facilitate larger ships using the Port of New York, inclement weather and the accompanying high winds and low visibility have had a greater impact to the commercial traffic in the harbor in 2003, than in years past. With the numerous dredging operations restricting some large ship movements, these ships have been delayed or denied entry for short periods of time due to the weather. Hurricane Isabel and several Nor’easters have prompted shutting down restricted navigational zones and impacted the bottom line for many of the large shipping lines.
Session 2, Session 2 (Room 604)
Wednesday, 14 January 2004, 1:00 PM-2:30 PM, Room 604
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