We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • ::COVID-19 COVERAGE::
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Subscriptions
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Best Practices
      • Change Me
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • The Logistics of Defense
      • Logistics Problem Solving
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Public Sector Logistics
      • Two Sides of the Logistics Coin
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • MODEX 2020
    • Upload Your Video
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Subscriptions
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Best Practices
      • Change Me
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • The Logistics of Defense
      • Logistics Problem Solving
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Public Sector Logistics
      • Two Sides of the Logistics Coin
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • MODEX 2020
    • Upload Your Video
Home » Shake, rattle and roll
big picture

Shake, rattle and roll

July 12, 2019
David Maloney
No Comments

The first jolt occurred at 2: 00 a.m. on Dec. 16, waking most people from a sound sleep. This initial shockwave had an approximate magnitude of 7.9, followed by a 7.4-magnitude aftershock. Two more earthquakes, each greater than 7.0, struck the following year.

No, this was not California. These events took place in Arkansas and Missouri in 1811 and 1812. Although the quakes were among the most devastating ever felt on the continent, they caused only slight damage to man-made structures since the area was sparsely populated at the time.

Today, it would be a very different story. The area along what's known as the New Madrid fault line remains an active seismic zone, producing more than 4,000 minor earthquakes since 1974. What would happen if a quake comparable to those of 1811-12 occurred again? According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), we could see the highest economic loss due to a natural disaster that America has ever experienced.

Consider that the 1811 quake could be felt over 50,000 square miles. A similar quake could threaten parts of eight states and the cities of St. Louis; Memphis, Tenn.; and Little Rock, Ark. In terms of logistics infrastructure, the FedEx hub in Memphis and Walmart complex in Bentonville, Ark., are just two of the key distribution points whose operations could be severely disrupted.

That's why in early June, FEMA held a weeklong exercise to test disaster preparedness in the region. It simulated a 7.7 earthquake with an epicenter 26 miles southeast of Jonesboro, Ark., to assess what would happen if, for instance, all of the bridges across the Mississippi became unusable or if water, power, and communications networks were crippled and shipments of relief supplies blocked by damaged roads.

My good friend Kathy Fulton, executive director of the American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN), participated in the exercise. Acting in her normal role of coordinating logistics during disasters, Fulton led a team that included reps from major carriers, national retailers, wholesale grocers, and others who play a part in disaster recovery.

"We want to make sure that the resources that all of these parties can bring to bear are available," she says. "Getting the commercial supply chain restarted after a major disaster is the best way to get materials and relief to the people who need it."

It will take awhile to analyze the results of the exercise, which Fulton says likely produced more questions than answers. I just think it's good that questions are being asked now, rather than later.

Supply Chain Services Disaster Response
KEYWORDS American Logistics Aid Network FedEx FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) Walmart
  • Related Articles

    In tapping Abney as CEO, UPS moves to shake up U.S. network

    Roll out the barrels!

    On a roll at Amway

Davidmaloney
David Maloney has been a journalist for more than 35 years and is currently the editorial director for DC Velocity and Supply Chain Quarterly magazines. In this role, he is responsible for the editorial content of both brands of Agile Business Media. Dave joined DC Velocity in April of 2004. Prior to that, he was a senior editor for Modern Materials Handling magazine. Dave also has extensive experience as a broadcast journalist. Before writing for supply chain publications, he was a journalist, television producer and director in Pittsburgh. Dave combines a background of reporting on logistics with his video production experience to bring new opportunities to DC Velocity readers, including web videos highlighting top distribution and logistics facilities, webcasts and other cross-media projects. He continues to live and work in the Pittsburgh area.

Recent Articles by David Maloney

In Person Interview: Jerome Dubois of 6 River Systems

The future is plastics … just less of them

Robots on the rise

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Most Popular Articles

  • A look into the future of robotics

  • A primer on warehouse robots

  • Roadrunner Freight bolsters LTL capabilities with $50 million in new backing

  • Southeastern Freight Lines Promotes Marty Cox to Service Center Manager in Cincinnati, Ohio

  • Pull back or go deeper—how the pandemic influenced shipper-3PL engagement

Now Playing on DCV-TV

9cddf77b a6f2 40d3 b603 004e451106fb

Dealing with Rapidly Rising Freight Costs

DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
I don’t know if it’s because of our Two Minute Warnings, or the fact that shippers are experiencing the conditions we warned about in our Code Red webcasts, but lately, I’ve heard the same message from several C-Level and supply chain executives: Their companies are experiencing supply chain challenges and their...

FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

  • Special Report: Supply Chain Trends in Retail & Consumer Goods

  • Fortify Your Operational Resilience

  • Cold Storage Automation: Leveraging Advanced Technologies to Meet Increasing Demand

  • The modern warehouse: Maximizing productivity and capacity

View More

Subscribe to DC Velocity Magazine

GET YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • NEWSLETTERS
  • ADVERTISING
  • CUSTOMER CARE
  • CONTACT
  • ABOUT
  • STAFF
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Copyright ©2021. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing