““Uncharted Waters”: The Uncharted Waters”: The Waterborne Evacuation of Waterborne Evacuation of Lower Manhattan on Lower Manhattan on September 11September 11thth

By Brandi Lea, Dr. James Kendra, By Brandi Lea, Dr. James Kendra, & Dr. Tricia Wachtendorf& Dr. Tricia Wachtendorf

DRCDisaster Research Center

Waterborne Evacuation Waterborne Evacuation of Lower Manhattanof Lower Manhattan

UnplannedUnplanned SpontaneousSpontaneous 300,000 – 500,000 300,000 – 500,000

people evacuatedpeople evacuated Boatlift of suppliesBoatlift of supplies

Method:Method:

Qualitative Inductive Method Qualitative Inductive Method 80 participants have been interviewed80 participants have been interviewed Other interviews from newspapers, Other interviews from newspapers,

magazines, & South Street Seaport magazines, & South Street Seaport museum interviewsmuseum interviews

GIS & Social NetworkGIS & Social Network

FindingsFindings

Existing KnowledgeExisting Knowledge Harbor NetworksHarbor Networks Harbor ConstructionHarbor Construction

Existing KnowledgeExisting Knowledge

Years working in the harbor Years working in the harbor ApprenticeshipsApprenticeships Coast Guard Licensing Coast Guard Licensing

Harbor NetworksHarbor Networks

Previous Previous RelationshipsRelationships

Effective Effective communicationcommunication

CoordinationCoordination

46 USC Sec. 230446 USC Sec. 2304

A master or individual in charge of a A master or individual in charge of a vessel shall render assistance to any vessel shall render assistance to any individual found at sea in danger of being individual found at sea in danger of being lost, so far as the master or individual in lost, so far as the master or individual in charge can do so without serious danger charge can do so without serious danger to the master’s or individual’s vessel or to the master’s or individual’s vessel or individuals on board. individuals on board.

Harbor ConstructionHarbor Construction

City changed harborCity changed harbor Closed piersClosed piers No longer a No longer a

“working” waterfront“working” waterfront

Implications:Implications:

Longstanding relationships are the Longstanding relationships are the precondition for an effective evacuationprecondition for an effective evacuation

ICS tries to simulate these relationships, ICS tries to simulate these relationships, but can not always do sobut can not always do so

““We didn’t really have time for that.”We didn’t really have time for that.” Cities on the waterfront need to Cities on the waterfront need to

remember the maritime communityremember the maritime community

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements

Funds for portions of this research were provided by Funds for portions of this research were provided by Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake and Engineering Research Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake and Engineering Research (MCEER) New Technologies in Emergency Management, No. 00-(MCEER) New Technologies in Emergency Management, No. 00-10-81 and Measure of Resilience No. 99-32-01; the National 10-81 and Measure of Resilience No. 99-32-01; the National Science Foundation; the Public Entity Risk Institute No. 2001-70 Science Foundation; the Public Entity Risk Institute No. 2001-70 (Kathleen Tierney, Principal Investigator), National Science (Kathleen Tierney, Principal Investigator), National Science Foundation No. 0603561 and 0510188 (James Kendra and Tricia Foundation No. 0603561 and 0510188 (James Kendra and Tricia Wachtendorf, Principal Investigators) and the University of Wachtendorf, Principal Investigators) and the University of Delaware Research Foundation (Tricia Wachtendorf, Principal Delaware Research Foundation (Tricia Wachtendorf, Principal Investigator). We are grateful to the South Street Seaport Museum Investigator). We are grateful to the South Street Seaport Museum (Mr. Jeffrey Remling, Collections Director) for access to interviews (Mr. Jeffrey Remling, Collections Director) for access to interviews with participants in the waterborne operations. Funding to the with participants in the waterborne operations. Funding to the museum for these interviews was provided by the National museum for these interviews was provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the interviews were Endowment for the Humanities, and the interviews were conducted by David Tarnow. The authors are responsible for the conducted by David Tarnow. The authors are responsible for the views presented here.views presented here.