Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
bridge that collapsed, killing 13 people and injuring 145 people. The National
Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of the bridge col-
lapse was inadequate load capacity, due to a design error of the gusset plates. These
gusset plates failed due to a combination of (1) substantial increases in the weight
of the bridge, which resulted from previous bridge modifications, and (2) the traf-
fic and concentrated construction located on the bridge the day of collapse (four
of the eight lanes of the bridge were under construction, and heavy machinery was
present).
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One of the most historic examples of infrastructure failure came in the town
of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on May 31, 1889. On that date, the South Fork Dam
gave way, flooding the town with 20 million tons of rushing water. The 36-foot
wall of water containing debris, such as boulders, swept through the town, killing
2249 people and destroying hundreds of buildings. As a side note, this was the first
disaster for the newly formed American Red Cross under the leadership of Clara
Barton. Contributing factors to this disaster were (1) the town of Johnstown was
built in a floodplain and (2) the South Fork Dam had been poorly maintained.
Consequences of Infrastructure Failure
The effects of infrastructure failure can vary depending on the location and type
of infrastructure that has failed. For this reason, it is difficult to plan or prepare for
a particular piece of infrastructure to fail. Also, the interdependencies of critical
infrastructure (they rely on one another to function) can cause a number of sec-
ondary effects. Among the types of secondary effects that can occur are long-term
power outages, contamination or complete disruption of water supplies, flooding,
mass casualties, loss of communications, loss of critical technologies, disruption
or destruction of pipelines, structural damage or destruction, hazardous material
releases, and nuclear power plant accidents.
Planning and Preparation
There are many variables that come into play that make it difficult to plan and
prepare for specific infrastructure failures. However, much of the planning that
an Emergency Manager does for their community or organization, along with
the preparedness information given to the public, should already include plans
and steps to be ready in case of an infrastructure failure. These steps include
developing a family disaster supplies kit that allows for at least 72 hours of self-
sufficiency (one week may be more realistic). The development of individual and
family disaster plans for evacuation, sheltering in place, and loss of communi-
cations can help the public to be ready in the case of an infrastructure failure.
Emergency Managers should review Emergency Operations Plans and Standard
Operating Procedures to ensure that they cover infrastructure failures and their
potential consequences.
