Ocean useful in hurricane disaster relief

CLEMSON, S.C., May 25 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say the ocean might provide an important highway for use in a hurricane disaster.

"The ocean is a natural highway, essentially unaffected by hurricane destruction," said Clemson University Emeritus Professor Clinton Whitehurs Jr., lead author of a study entitled "Hurricane Relief from the Sea.

"While the sea may be impassable at certain times and locations, it recovers quickly, which isn't always the situation with land transportation systems after a disaster," said Whitehurs, a senior fellow at Clemson University's Strom Thurmond Institute of Government and Public Affairs.

The report notes that no matter where a hurricane makes landfall, there are deepwater seaports close to the disaster area that can accept relief supplies and equipment delivered from the sea. A pre-loaded relief ship could reach a disaster area 12 to 36 hours after a storm, as compared with the three to five days it took for significant relief tonnage to reach New Orleans by land and air following Hurricane Katrina last year.

The study is available online at http://www.strom.clemson.edu/publications.html#hurricane.