Back to Facility Manager
Contents
Back to
Home |
 |
|
Photos courtsey of NOAA |
By Pat
Pape
The hurricane season is now a memory. Many evacuees are moving back to
their homes along the Gulf Coast, and retailers and restaurants are
slowly re-opening their businesses. While the news media and politicians
debate the quality of governmental response, facility experts are
reviewing what they learned from the storms that devastated parts the
country during 2005.
Facilities in several states played a role in the unexpected drama, but
much of the learning comes from the New Orleans Superdome and Hurricane
Katrina, the fifth worst storm ever recorded in the Atlantic basin and
the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history.
Even before Hurricane Katrina had made land, New Orleans city officials
had designated several local buildings, including the
1.9-million-square-foot Louisiana Superdome, as “refuges of last
resort.” Many area residents were either without means to leave New
Orleans or had hoped to sit out the storm. Then, nearby levees failed
and flood waters poured into the Crescent City, and very quickly the
Superdome filled with people. Some of them were rescued by authorities
from rooftops and flooded homes and then transported to the facility.
Others simply made their way to the Superdome in search of shelter.
Before the skies had cleared, the 30-year-old Superdome was housing as
many as 10,000 displaced residents at one time.
Opened in August, 1975, the Superdome was dubbed “The Crown Jewel of the
New Orleans Skyline.” It was constructed to withstand storms of up to
200 mph, but on Aug. 29, 2005, when winds from Hurricane Katrina reached
145 mph, two holes were torn in the facility’s roof. In addition, the
building’s air conditioning and electricity failed. Toilets didn’t work,
and running water was not available, a combination that created
unsanitary and uncomfortable conditions. Most of the Superdome’s
temporary residents were eventually moved to other shelters in other
states, but facility industry leaders want to ensure they know how to
avoid the Superdome’s problems in the future.
Looking ahead, Don Grinberg, FAIA, director of Convention Center
Architecture for HNTB Architecture in Boston, believes revised building
codes typically play a major role in making newly constructed structures
safer during hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes and even manmade
disasters, such as fires.
“Florida is a prime example of this,” he said. “If you go look back,
you’ll see there have been significant changes in the (Florida) building
codes as a result of the history of storms there.”
 |
|
Photos courtsey of
Louisiana Superdome |
One prime example of that is devastating Hurricane Andrew, which
destroyed or damaged 173,000 homes and caused approximately $30 billion
in damage in 1992. Afterwards, South Florida authorities toughened both
local building codes and code enforcement.
“Of course, using a facility as a physical refuge is a whole other
dimension,” Grinberg said. “These buildings have enormous kitchens and
assembly space, but they’re not designed for people to be lodged there.”
Greg Davis, director of the CAJUNDOME in Lafayette, La., has seen this
situation first hand. Located about 135 miles from New Orleans, the
CAJUNDOME and Convention Center didn’t suffer the physical damage of the
Superdome; however, the facility served as a shelter for evacuees by
housing a total of 17,000 displaced people over a 58-day period. In a
single night, the CAJUNDOME received 2,700 incoming evacuees, who
arrived in more than 60 buses, while members of the national news media
crowded around the facility filing reports on the disaster.
“At one time, we had 7,000 people here,” Davis said. “Our facility is 20
years old, and this is the first time we’ve had to do anything like
that. But we came out just fine. There were no major problems.”
Because stadiums and convention centers are typically owned by state or
local governments, it is unlikely that additional funds will be spent on
other existing structures to make them more resistant to a future
hurricane or to convert it into a more efficient emergency shelter.
“Even before Hurricane Katrina, the State of Louisiana was having
financial difficulties,” Davis said. “It would cost millions of dollars
to upgrade (this facility) as a shelter. Where would you get the money?”
“These buildings are not equipped to be an evacuation shelter or a
refuge of last resort,” said Paul Griesemer of Ellerbe Becket, one of
four firms working to restore the Superdome to its pre-hurricane
condition. ”They’re strong structures, but they’re not prepared to house
people without backup services.”
Ellerbe Becket recently completed an engineering and operating systems
analysis of the Superdome, which is available for review on the
Superdome Web site at
www.superdome.com/site19.php.
“We’re getting to the final scope of the project,” said Griesemer,
architectural director. “We hope that the New Orleans Saints will be
playing football in the Superdome by November 2006.”
Because of the unpredictable forces of nature, the best plan for
facility managers in the future is to be prepared for emergencies and to
be a key player, along with state and local authorities, in emergency
preparation planning.
“The onus is on building managers to plan ahead, and ideally the design
of the building should be part of the plan,” Grinberg said. “What is the
role of the kitchen and its function? What is the role of the food
service provider in light of the temporary residents that need to be
served?
“One of the lessons here is that disaster response needs to be
interdisciplinary, with all entities working together to make that
happen. From my perspective, I think that the facility managers
understand that and are working to that end,” he said.
Davis added that the expertise of the seasoned facility manager –
dealing with large crowds – is instrumental in disaster planning on a
state or local level.
“As an industry, we need to reach out to the Red Cross, to Homeland
Security and to FEMA and get them to embrace the facility manager as an
integral part of a disaster plan,” he said. “There should be a formal
relationship, and we must all understand the chain of command. The role
of the facility manager needs to be articulated, understood and agreed
upon.”
Pat Pape is a freelance writer in Dallas, TX. |
|
