An Associated Press article this afternoon indicates that the lessons learned during the Katrina aftermath will be put into practice, if not by governments, then certainly by the process industries themselves. Valero and Marathon have already ordered the RVs and trailers, emergency phone nets (a lot like prayer chains) are being formed. Employees are being instructed in text messaging, because in congested conditions, a text message often goes through where a cell call doesn't.
"We are about two or three days ahead of where we were with Katrina," said Mary Rose Brown, spokeswoman for San Antonio-based Valero.
"RVs are rented and ready to go; trucks are packed and ready; we have generators ready; and we've sent refinery managers cash that way we can get it to employees affected," she said.
Marathon Oil Corp. has a refinery in Texas City, which employs about 250 people, and a Houston office building with about 1,000 employees.
"We are ready to provide items whether they are personal items or generators," said Angelia Graves, Marathon spokeswoman.
Although it took 12-14 hours to get from Galveston to north of Houston yesterday, today the press was off, since the evacuations are being handled with more professionalism and aplomb. Even people with animals are being accommodated.
Distributors, reps, electrical supply houses, pump suppliers, and other supply chain vendors to the process industries have begun battening down, backing up data, moving critical servers and other systems, and getting ready to go back to work as soon as Rita passes.
Walt
