Charleston area officials say they’re about as prepared as they can get for the kind of unexpected accident that happened early today in Baltimore when a powerless cargo ship drifted and slammed into Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to crash into the Patapsco River.
With dozens of ships going in and out of Charleston every month, officials say they work together to move freight safely — and to have flexible contingency plans in case something happens.
“In the wake of such a tragedy, questions understandably arise,” said S.C. Department of Transportation Secretary Christy Hall, S.C. State Ports Authority President and CEO Barbara Melvin and Charleston Branch Pilots Association President Crayton Walters in a joint statement. “[We] have already had initial conversations regarding the incident, and we will jointly review harbor operations, procedures and state infrastructure.”
And being prepared is important, some note, because of something that happened 78 years ago. On Feb. 24, 1946, the 12,000-ton Nicaraugua Victory broke away from its Cooper River mooring and smashed into the John P. Grace Memorial Bridge. A 240-foot length of roadway then fell into the river, according to a Charleston Magazine article by historian Harlan Greene.
Charleston and Mount Pleasant felt impacts over several months of repairs.
Charleston County’s emergency plan
Charleston County government has a 323-page Emergency Operations Plan that is flexible enough to deal with disaster contingencies from hurricanes and nuclear spills to other technological hazards such as a collapsed bridge.
In response to an inquiry by the Charleston City Paper, Charleston County Public Safety Director Eric Watson outlined how the county would follow its plan to “to ensure an immediate, coordinated and prompt response by emergency responders” in the event of a Baltimore-like disaster. Among the steps:
- “Work with our public safety partners and activate the Charleston County Emergency Operations Center, which is a centralized command and control center that was established to provide critical support to all responding agencies in the field,” and
- “Real-time communication and information sharing, resource allocation, collaboration and logistical support.”
The county department would coordinate with local and state governments and federal agencies and may request County Council to declare a state of emergency if needed, Watson added. That would allow emergency officials to access extra resources and “ensure that all the required measures are taken to protect and safeguard the community.”
County communications coordinator Kaitlyn Jordan described the county’s emergency plan as “a blanket for any type of situation and then they [responders] would tailor their response and any resources to whatever the situation is at hand.”
Will ships go under the Ravenel Bridge during the Cooper River Bridge Run?
No, according to the U.S. Coast Guard:
“The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary security zone in the Cooper River, near the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, in support of the Cooper River Bridge Run on Saturday, April 6, 2024, from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. This temporary security zone prohibits persons and vessels from entering, transiting through, anchoring in, or remaining within the security zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Charleston or a designated representative.”
The Coast Guard later clarified that the temporary security zone was determined months ago.
The bridge run starts 8 a.m. April 6. Look for a special section on the race in the March 29 printed edition of the Charleston City Paper.
Skyler Baldwin contributed to this story.
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