IAH Update
"Houston, TX - (Sept. 13, 2008) - As Hurricane Ike passed over Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) during the early morning hours of Saturday, Sept. 13, the combination of hurricane force winds, heavy rainfall and extensive duration of the storm delivered a powerful punch that has the Houston Airport System (HAS) dealing with many challenges as a result of the catastrophic event.
Fortunately, none of the 500 emergency workers who were on duty as the hurricane hit the airport were injured and the airfield infrastructure was completely untouched, which allows for restoration of air service as HAS works with airlines to return to normal flight operations as quickly as possible. Contractors and structural engineers were on site Saturday, Sept. 13, after the hurricane to assist with the repairs.
IAH has 2.6 million square feet of facilities and reports the following hurricane-related issues at Bush Intercontinental:
»Terminal C, utilized exclusively by Continental Airlines, with more than 40 gates had lost all electrical power.
»Airport access road from I-59 to Terminals, Will Clayton Parkway, has water across the surface and is impassable - resulting in the only access to the airport terminals from John F. Kennedy Boulevard.
»Damage to two cooling system towers with the loss of 2 fans, were blown off the building as the hurricane passed over IAH.
»Airport People Mover (APM) Station was severely damaged due to severe water damage when 80-plus mile per hour winds hit the airport - the APM is an above-ground monorail that transports passengers from Terminals B, C, D and E.
»Complete structural loss of escalators and elevators inside Terminal B that lead to APM Station occurred after broken windows allowed heavy rain into the facility.
»All Houston Airport System jet bridges were damaged with a range of minor impact to complete missing panels of the jet bridge components.
»The HAS fuel farm for all airport vehicles for public safety and other essential services is not assessable until electrical power is restored.
»The Inter-terminal train that operated between Terminals A, B, C, D and E was damaged.
»Terminal D has numerous issues including structural damage, broken windows and flooding.
More than 500 workers reported to IAH before and during Hurricane Ike as essential employees. They all and stayed on airport property to ensure the safety and security of the facility during the emergency operations. The group included more than 300 Houston Airport System employees, United States Department of Homeland Security and Transportation Security Administration, Customs and Border Protection, Houston Police Department, numerous airport service providers and other local, state and federal agencies.
Since Wednesday, September 10, TSA has deployed 200 additional security officers at IAH and is working closely with HAS and airlines to resume operations."
If the airport opens on Monday I will be very impressed. I wonder why if anyone is adding extra sections to AUS or SAT to get people moving out of the area. Good luck to all those on the ground in and around Houston.
