Thousands of offshore operators have halted operations due to Hurricane Sandy, which has created dangerous weather conditions across the Atlantic. Sandy has now approached the shore line and caused extreme damage in the states of New Jersey and New York in particular.
Maritime workers are particularly at risk of the dangerous conditions created in the event of a hurricane or tropical storm such as Sandy. Marine companies therefore need to take extreme caution in order to protect their crew members in extreme weather.
Many ships had been warned of the impending danger of Hurricane Sandy and therefore were safely docked at port, however there were a number of vessels that were already out at sea, which had to ride out the storm before being able to head back to shore.
There are a number of measures that can be taken by ships that are stuck at sea in stormy conditions, according to expert Steffen Conradsen. In order to prevent this situation from occurring in the first place, vessels should keep up to date on weather reports and avoid areas at risk of bad weather. In addition, weather monitoring equipment can be used to avoid areas that are most badly hit by the storm. Vessel crews should keep in regular contact with on-shore communication centres. The on shore information centres will also send information about changing weather conditions to their vessels.
In some cases, the United States Coast Guard may recommend that ships in fact leave the port and ride out the storm at sea. This is because ships are at risk of being washed onto land and damage the vessel and surrounding structures when they are berthed. However, this is a decision that should be taken with care after careful consideration of the risks and benefits of both options.
Large commercial vessels should be adequately equipped to ride out stormy conditions such as those caused by Hurricane Sandy – however riding out a storm remains extremely dangerous. A number of ships have already been sunk as a result of Sandy. The final death toll from the storm is yet to be calculated, but it is thought that tens of offshore workers may have lost their lives.
As well as the commercial vessels and offshore operations that have been affected by Hurricane Sandy, many cruise liners were forced to cancel their trips. There have been some cruise liners that are trapped out at sea because they were not able to make it back to port before the ports closed.
Contact the Offshore Injury Lawyers at Zehl & Associates today if you have been injured offshore, we are here to help.
