When hurricane Sandy
slammed into the north-east
coast of the US last Monday
it shut down all the ports
and airports in the region.
The major airports
closed for three days, but
flights got under way
from Wednesday onwards
– although air cargo
movement in the region was
still restricted.
Warren Tempest of IAG
Cargo (the combine of BA
World Cargo and Iberia
Cargo), told the press that
the company had resumed
its operations to New York
on Wednesday, and by
Thursday was operating at
very nearly full schedule.
He acknowledged that
there was still a backlog of
traffic, but that the cargo
operation was almost back
up to speed.
Another commentator told
the press that local power
companies estimated that a
complete return to normal
on electricity supplies could
take between seven and 14
days. He also underlined
growing petrol shortages in
New York, and agreed that
backlogs of airfreight had
built up in warehouses.
The ports were much
harder hit. Sandy struck hard
last Monday, inundating
terminals and forcing ships
tied up dockside or moored
close to shore to flee to open
water to avoid damage by
waves or a storm surge well
above the normal high tide.
However, the sea ports
of Philadelphia and Boston
declared themselves open
again on Wednesday/
Thursday – although
clearing up damage and
flooding took priority, and
it was still some time until
cargo operations began to
tick over again.
But the major Port of
New York and New Jersey
remained closed – still with
no power, and with damaged
facilities and flooding
hampering attempts to start
moving cargo again.
It was only by the
weekend that floodwaters
fully receded, and port roads
were cleared for tractor
trailers that haul 40-foot
shipping containers.
However, power was
still out in some areas and
would have to be restored
for the port to resume
full operations, the Port
Authority said. The agency
said crews had worked
around the clock to clear
hundreds of containers
floated by floodwaters,
and to repair roadways, rail
lines, electrical systems and
other port facilities damaged
by the storm.
“Reopening of the port
is critical to the region’s
economic recovery from
the devastating effects
of Hurricane Sandy,” the
Port Authority said in a
statement.
The container terminals
at the east coast’s busiest
port finally stuttered back
into business last Sunday/
Monday.
Longshoremen began
unloading a variety of
Sunday morning at the
Maher and APM container
terminals along Newark
Bay in Elizabeth, the Port
Authority said, and several
ships were expected at the
two terminals that day, it
added.
The Port Newark terminal
in Newark and the Global
terminal in Jersey City were
scheduled to open their
gates on Monday morning,
followed by the first vessel’s
arrival at Global on Sunday
evening, the Port Authority
said.
Officials did not have
estimates for how much
the storm had cost the port
in terms of damage, lost
wages and earnings or other
expenses. But an analysis
done by the Port Authority
put the cost to the region at
US$136 million a week in
personal income and another
US$110 m in economic
output.
CAPTION
Superstorm Sandy’s devastation ... complete return to normal on
electricity supplies could take up to 14 days.