STATEMENT OF GREER A. BUSBEE, JR., DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY TANSPORTATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, AC COMPANIED BY MR. GAINES, COUNSEL Mr. BUSBEE. All right, Senator Dole. I have from the office of the general counsel of the Department, Mr. Gaines, who will synopsize that for us. Senator DOLE. Our primary interest is knowing what we may do, either through the bill of the chairman or the bill of the administration, to be more effective when the next disaster strikes. We are well aware of your efforts in Camille. Mr. BUSBEE. We will limit this to the transportation part of it, Senator Dole, and I will ask Mr. Gaines to go over that part that affects transportation. Senator BAYH. Given the hour and the fact that we all have more things to do than we can possibly get done, and the fact that there are two more witnesses, I think Senator Dole's idea is an excellent one. I would like to suggest, without objection, that the whole statement will be included in the record and ask that your remarks be not just a synopsis of what will appear in the record, but anything in addition that might come to your mind with particular reference to the emergency public transportation provision in S. 3819. (The statement referred to follows:) PREPARED STATEMENT OF GREER A. BUSBEE, JR. Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee: I appreciate the opportunity to appear before you today to discuss the efforts of the Department of Transportation in meeting the problems created by the Camille disaster with particular respect to emergency transportation activities and reconstruction of highways. I shall also refer to Senate Bill 3619. I have with me today my associates from the Department: CDR Daniel L. Muir, USCG; Capt. Robert A. Sweatt, USN, of the Federal Aviation Administration; Mr. Sylvester E. Ridge of the Federal Highway Administration; and Mr. Donald H. Gaines of the Office of the General Counsel of the Department, who are here to assist in answering any questions you may have. We have prepared a detailed report on actions taken by the The Department of Transportation is proud of the part it played in alleviating the suffering and damage caused by Hurricane Camille, and is extremely grateful that it was SO successful in its efforts. Elements of the Department of Transportation were active before, at the time, and after Hurricane Camille struck the Gulf Coast leaving severe suffering and damage in its wake as it proceeded northeast to the Atlantic. The United States Coast Guard, utilizing sixteen Coast Guard aircraft, and six vessels in the Gulf Coast area, rescued 55 people from immediate peril, evacuated another 140 persons, lifted 51 litter patients from Coast hospitals to New Orleans and Keesler AFB, and assisted 39 vessels found to be in distress. Coast Guard aircraft flew 38 missions to transport and support representatives of other government agencies and flew 13 emergency flights to carry urgently needed medical and relief supplies. More than 300 fixed aids to navigation and over 150 navigational buoys either lost, destroyed, damaged or off station, were restored as quickly as possible. Normal vessel traffic had been restored in all channels by the end of 30 days after the hurricane passed. Similar search and rescue, airlift and reconnaisance operations as well as locating menaces to navigation, aids to navigation and general public safety services were conducted by the Coast Guard in Virginia. The Federal Aviation Administration moved at once to restore service in some 23 Federal Aviation Administration facilities in the Gulf Coast Area which went out of service on August 17 and 18 owing to extensive failure of power and telephone circuits. By noon Monday, August 18, all but 13 affected facilities were restored. The Gulfport Airport became operational by two o'clock the afternoon of that day and became the center for coordinating area transportation movements. Other civil airports were also returned rapidly to service, as debris clearance was the major restoration required. By August 24, one week after Camille had passed the coast, all Federal Aviation Administration air traffic control and air navigation aids affected by the storm had been returned to full service. A similarly rapid recovery occurred in the Virginia and West Virginia area, which was hit by this hurricane on August 20. Very few Administration and no civil aviation facilities in the affected area were damaged, outages having been confined to power and telephone circuit losses. By August 22 all of the Federal Aviation Administration facilities in the area had been returned to full service. Although this seems to be a reasonably rapid response to this disaster, the Administration is now having its field offices devise new procedures to improve the disaster preparedness for the FAA and for its civil aviation industry counterparts. For example, new directories of helicopter operators will be furnished to power and telephone companies along the vulnerable Gulf Coast. Liaison with electric power company pools, providing priorities for restoration of power to essential air traffic control and navigation aids, will be undertaken. This experience is being used to establish similar working relationships in other areas of the country. The Federal Highway Administration efforts are particularly noteworthy. On Sunday, August 17, 1969, after it was determined that the Hurricane would strike the Gulf Coast, the Washington Office of the Federal Highway Administration alerted their Regional Office in Atlanta to prepare for emergency action. In Mississippi, August 18, Governor John Bell Williams declared the southern portion of that State a disaster area. On that same day, a preliminary inspection of the damage to the Mississippi Gulf Coast was made by the Bureau of Public Roads Division Engineer and the Director of the Mississippi State Highway Department. State highway crews had begun clearing debris by 3:00 a.m. On August 19th, debris clearance on streets and roads was divided between the State Highway Department and the "Seabees". On August 22, six teams, each consisting of |