Hurricane Katrina

Skelton: No Plans to Change Posse Comitatus

In a meeting with Congressman Ike Skelton (D-MO), U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld confirmed that the Pentagon has no plans to recommend changes to the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits the participation of active duty military forces in domestic law enforcement activities. On September 21, Skelton sent a letter to the President asking him to clarify remarks he made in a speech that appeared to call for an increased role for the military in domestic emergency response. Skelton questioned whether the President intended to seek a waiver to the Posse Comitatus Act or to request a full rewrite of the Act. Following Hurricane Katrina, the President directed Executive branch agencies to compile lessons learned during the response and recovery effort. Secretary Rumsfeld told Skelton that while DoD is still compiling its recommendations, changes to the Posse Comitatus Act have not been discussed and the Department does not intend to make any recommendations that would involve changes to the Act. "I agree with Secretary Rumsfeld that no changes need to be made to the existing law," said Skelton. "Clearly there were many breakdowns in the response to Hurricane Katrina and improvements must be made to improve the federal, state, and local response to future emergencies, including both natural disasters and terrorist incidents

GlobalSantaFe Rigs Appear OK

GlobalSantaFe Corporation reported that it has accounted for all five of its drilling rigs that were in the direct path of Hurricane Katrina. All personnel on the five rigs were safely evacuated prior to the storm's arrival. GlobalSantaFe rigs in the path of Hurricane Katrina included the GSF Development Driller II and GSF High Island VIII, which showed no signs of damage during a preliminary aerial inspection. The GSF Celtic Sea and GSF Development Driller I were listing slightly

Coast Guard Assists in Wake of Katrina

Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Shawn Beaty, 29, of Long Island, N.Y., looks for survivors in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Beaty is a member of an HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter rescue crew sent from Clearwater, Fla., to assist in search and rescue efforts. U.S. Coast Guard photograph by Petty Officer 2nd Class NyxoLyno Cangemi

NOAA to Evaluate and Assess Region

Photo Credit: NOAA An aerial image of south Plaquemines Parish, La., near Empire, Buras and Boothville, where Hurricane Katrina made landfall on August 29, 2005 as a Category Four hurricane with maximum winds estimated at 140 mph to the east of the center. The NOAA Office of Response and Restoration and Damage Assessment Center is deploying NOAA scientists and other specialists—in coordination with federal, state and local emergency centers—to assist in evaluating the damages to the many

Trade Update for Hurricane Katrina

The port locations of New Orleans (port code 2002), Gramercy (port code 2010), Gulfport (port code1902), and Pasagoula (port code 1905) are currently non-operational due to Hurricane Katrina. In order to ensure that import activity continues without impediment, the Atlanta Field Office has been designated oversight on all cargo clearance and import related processing for the affected area. The Atlanta Field Office has designated the port of Memphis (port code 2006) to manage all

Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding Team Honored by U.S. Coast Guard

The U.S. Coast Guard honored a Northrop Grumman Corporation shipbuilding team for their Hurricane Katrina recovery performance on the first Deepwater National Security Cutter. Northrop Grumman's Ship Systems sector resumed shipbuilding just two weeks after Hurricane Katrina. The company is building the National Security Cutter at their Pascagoula facility, under contract from Integrated Coast Guard Systems LLP, a joint venture of Northrop

MarAd Temporarily Suspends Processing

On October 17, 2005, the Deputy Maritime Administrator issued letters to Governor Kathleen Blanco of Louisiana, Governor Haley Barbour of Mississippi and Governor Robert Riley of Alabama, informing them that due to the disruption caused by Hurricane Katrina, the Maritime Administration (MARAD) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) have temporarily suspended the processing of pending Gulf Coast region Deepwater Port license applications.

CNO Visits Bataan During Relief Efforts

By Journalist Seaman Joanne De Vera, USS Bataan Public Affairs ABOARD USS BATAAN, Gulf of Mexico (NNS) -- Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Mullen visited USS Bataan (LHD 5) Sept. 10 while the ship was at anchor off the coast of Gulfport, Miss., supporting Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. It was one of numerous stops for the CNO during his daylong visit to the Katrina joint operations area (JOA). The CNO was on board to visit the crew of the first Navy warship on scene for

Oil Prices Fall, Emergency Oil Flows

Newswires reported that oil prices fell 2.4 percent on Tuesday as the energy industry showed signs of recovery in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and industrialized countries prepared to tap emergency supplies to avert a crunch. U.S. crude CLc1> settled down $1.61 to $65.96 a barrel, below last week's peak $70.85. Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast early last week, shutting down nearly all U.S. offshore crude oil production and paralyzing more than 10 percent of refining capacity

Donjon Marine Removes Grounded Vessels

Donjon removed the Navy research vessel Shadwell from Mobile Bay, after it was grounded as a result of the recent hurricanes. Donjon Marine, Co., Inc., recently removed from strand the Ex-Troop Carrier State of Maine and the Navy research vessel Shadwell, which were grounded on Little Sand Island in Mobile Bay, Ala., as a result of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The operation was planned, and directed by Donjon, but performed with the use of local subcontractors for dredging, crane barge