A towboat hit St. Louis’ Eads Bridge on May 3, possibly because of increasing flood waters. According to USCG officials, the tugboat was damaged to its pilot house but there were no injuries. The bridge was not harmed neither. After the accident, USCG closed a part of the Mississippi to all ship traffic from mile marker 179 to 184,
The Swedish Club issued an alert on the unprecedented increase that the Upper Mississippi river is expected to experience. Specifically, the rises of 6 to 7 feet are expected on the Upper Mississippi above the junction with the Ohio River, according to forecast of May 1, from Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center, LMRFC.
Marc Garneau, the Canadian Minister of Transport, issued a new Interim Order expanding areas in which navigation is not allowed in certain areas of flooding in order to protect the safety of people and vessels, and help first responders do their jobs in flooding conditions. The public is also called to stay off all flooded waterways in Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick to ensure navigational safety, and prevent damage to infrastructure and the environment.
The US NTSB issued an investigation report on the capsizing of the fishing vessel ‘Misty Blue’ in December 2017, in the Atlantic Ocean, which resulted in two fatalities and marine pollution. The report identified flooding of the port clam tank as the key cause of the accident.
Responders have managed to locate and address the cause of flooding on the 145-foot passenger-ferry Sili in Pago Pago, on February 17. Namely, the dive team notice a two-inch diameter hole on the port side of the engine room and applied a temporary patch. The ship will remain out of service until it is dry docked and permanent repairs effected.
The bulk carrier, Centennial Harmony, that was stranded 250 nautical miles southeast of St. John’s, is now safe after battling power outages and flooding on November 15. The Centennial Harmony put out a distress call due to taking on water, but gained control of the flooding by the evening hours.
The NTSB issued an investigation report on the flooding and sinking of the towing vessel ‘Savage Ingenuity’ in Louisiana, in September 2017. The report identified absence of company procedures requiring the closure of weather deck doors at all times while underway.
In its fishing vessel safety guide released earlier this week, the Shipowners Club provides safety tips for fishers to reduce the risk of flooding, one of the most common dangers for commercial fishing. As for the other threats, early detection of flooding is essential for a vessel to be saved.
A dry dock at the General Dynamics NASSCO gave way suffering a flooding incident on Wednesday night. At the time of the incident, the ‘USNS Miguel Keith’, a new Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) to join the US Navy’s Military Sealift Command, was at the dock.
An international research team from Italy, Greece, the Netherlands and the UK, published a new research in the scientific journal Nature Communications, saying that future global warming will lead to an increase in extreme sea levels, with flood risks to coastal infrastructure and human populations.
