Port Execs to Discuss Hurricane Impacts and Recovery

As part of the American Association of Port Authorities’ 94th Annual Convention here next week (port executives from three of the worst-hit seaports in the Gulf Coast after hurricanes Katrina and Rita will gather on Oct. 27, together with a Caribbean port executive whose facilities were ravaged by Hurricane Ivan in September 2004. Their goals are to compare notes, detail the challenges they faced (and may still be facing), and assess opportunities for improving preparedness and response to similar crises in the future. The “Hurricane Preparation and Recovery” panel comprises Gary LaGrange, president and CEO of the Port of New Orleans; Ted Falgout, executive director of the Greater LaFourche Port Commission, in southernmost Louisiana; Mark McAndrews, port director of Mississippi’s Port of Pascagoula; and Joseph Woods Jr., manager of marine and cargo for the Port Authority of the Cayman Islands. Charles Towsley, Port of Miami’s port director and a veteran of many hurricanes himself, will lead the discussion. Richard A. Wainio, port director & CEO of the Tampa Port Authority, commented, “We are extremely pleased to host this year’s convention. This hurricane discussion is especially timely, given recent experiences. Hurricanes like Katrina and Rita might have impacted any port on the Gulf or Atlantic coasts, and we all would benefit from hearing the lessons learned.”