Res 2006-163 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

2.9 Transportation Accident (rail, truck and aircraft) I Cross reference - Figures 2.12.1 and 2.12.2 Hazard Identification: Transportation accidents involve a variety of modes including motor vehicles (car, truck, and bus), rail, watercraft, aircraft, and spacecraft. The primary consequences of transportation accidents are human injury and death and hazardous materials releases. Mass casualty incidents can be difficult because of location. Remote locations can have limited resources, can make response time slow, and can delay treatment of the injured. Heavily populated locations can have crowd control problems and slow response time due to congestion. A worst-case scenario for a transportation accident would involve mass casualties and a hazardous material release. The presence of hazardous materials would slow any response to the injured for fear of exposing emergency personnel. A mass casualty event could overwhelm local emergency personnel, local hospitals, and local blood banks. Motor VehicJe Accidents Privately owned vehicles and local bus services provide the primary means of transportation along the IH-35 corridor between Austin and San Antonio. Unsurprisingly, roadway/highway accidents are frequent occurrences. Roadwaylhighway accidents can be severe enough to be considered major emergencies, often involving multiple car pileups, road closures, detoured traffic, and delays in the emergency response capabilities of the local area. Roadway/highway I accidents can also be deadly. In 1995, the United States experienced 44,347 transportation related deaths, 90% of which were highway related. Weather conditions such as rain and fog as well as traffic conditions such as congestion, construction, and high speeds are often cited as the major contributing factors in roadwaylhighway accidents. Roadway/highway accidents occur every day in the hays County study area, with varying degrees of severity. Aircraft Accidents Major airports are located in both Austin and San Antonio with both passenger and cargo traffic. Domestic and international service at both airports are provided by several major airlines. Several other airports also serve the hays County study area. Military, municipal, private, and emergency airtields are also located in areas surrounding Hays County. Air transportation accidents can be the result of equipment failure and adverse weather conditions. Down bursts, thunderstorms and ice are the primary weather related hazards that increase risk. Mass casualties and massive property damage can result from many different air transportation accident scenarios: one aircraft may explode in mid-air; two aircraft may collide in mid-air; debris from mid-air explosions may fall to the ground; one aircraft may crash into the ground; and so on. Despite the large number of planes flying over heavily populated areas, the number of air accidents that kill or injure non-passengers is quite small. In general, crashes are most likely to occur within five miles of an airport, typically along take-off and landing flight paths. The area within a five mile radius of most airports within the Austin and san I Antonio areas are heavily populated and, therefore, could result in mass casualties and massive Ha~'s coun1)' and lncorporaled Areas, Texas Miligalion Plan 75