Posted on 09/04/2019 1:46:47 PM PDT by Red Badger
Freeport, Grand Bahama (CNN)Across the northern Bahamas, what used to be stunning islands are now scenes of widespread destruction. Hurricane Dorian pulverized the islands for two days, hurling catastrophic winds and relentless rain. It was the strongest storm ever to make landfall in the country.
Now, the only airport on the island of Grand Bahama has been ripped apart by Dorian. "After two days of trying, we're finally able to get into the Freeport airport," CNN's Patrick Oppmann said from the scene Wednesday.
"It's gone. ... The level of devastation is actually breathtaking. There are no walls left at the airport. The ceiling has come crashing."
The airport's obliteration deals a devastating blow for residents who desperately need medical evacuations or emergency aid. "The runway field is now a debris field," Oppmann said. "I don't think even a helicopter could land there." Now that Dorian's vicious clouds are slowly crawling up the southeast US coast, Bahamians are finally seeing sunlight again. "Nothing compares to what we went through the past two days," survivor Michael Hynes said. "Almost 48 hours now with nonstop carnage."
At least seven people, including an 8-year-old boy, were killed. Authorities say that number will almost surely rise.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
“Basically, no way in at the moment and no way to distribute whatever supplies you could get in.”
Even if they get the airport open soon, the local roads must be in terrible shape - storm debris, downed power lines, washed out surfaces.
I know nothing about emergency distribution procedures - but I wonder if they’ll have to temporarily distribute supplies by airdrop or helicopter until they can get the roads open.
What a mess!
I always figured those ships are already doing something somewhere - and often on training missions. We have to pay for wages, food, fuel, etc. anyway. And what better training than in real life.
Supplies airlift and SeaBees airport repairs belong in the "Good Public Relations" folder, since we're the closest with the mostest. Unless you'd rather see the Russians or Chinese offer their assistance.
BTW, the Queen has no more responsibility there than we do.
“Sounds like a job for the Seabees.
They could get airports up and running within
72 hours during the war.”
But Muh environment! The Seabees could only do that by shooting defenseless Japanese and German environmentalists first.
/sarc for the historically ignorant.
Here in Seattle, when the big Earthquake hits, the plan is to bring stuff in to a large airport just east of the Cascade mountains.
Then truck it to the eastern slopes of the Cascades. Then load it onto helicopters to fly to Seattle.
It might be awhile for those standing at the end of a destroyed bridge waiting for their bottled water.
Or the Army. When I was in stationed in Germany in the early 80s we practiced rapid runway repair. One group would blow it up and another would repair it. One of 2 things have happened over time. Either the techniques have gotten better or the enviros banned all the good quick setting material because of a spotted snail darting bigfooted condor looking salamander.
That's what we did in Japan after the Kobe quake. (Some of my neighbors were asking their local politicians why the only helicopters they ever saw had the U.S. flag on them.) Trains were down, roads broken up, no electricity. Had a good friend fill an enormous backpack with ramen and water treatment tabs and hike in.
We were warned on his profile....
“I am the most right-wing Freeper in the role call.”
As a pilot.... I don’t need a tower. I don’t need a terminal.... I just need enough concrete, asphalt or grass to land my plane.... discharge my passengers and cargo and leave......
all aircraft leaving Florida for the Bahamas have enough fuel to round trip
The Bahamas have been a sovereign nation since around 1973. They are our neighbors.
And a very nasty comment. They’ve helped us before, we are friends. And you have zero humanity or humility. Grow up and grow a heart. That might be you some day
They will probably have the airport up and running in days. No amenities, but the landing strip should be intact.
Thank you.
Fly east, Max. Blog some first-hand reports ...
Why the plane still there instead of several hundred miles away by the time Dorian arrived?
The issue is whether the runways were destroyed / torn up vs. strewn with debris.
That looks just like Russian airports in the 1970s. They’d taxi past burned out hulls of crashed planes and trees growing in the middle of the runways. Was there and every runway was stomach turning.
Bahama doesn’t need walls to bring in supplies, just cleared off runways.
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