Georgia Emergency Operations Plan - GEMA/Homeland Security

have multiple layers of protection in place to mitigates equipment or network
failures.
In Georgia, the most common utilities failure occurs with electricity. High winds
from thunderstorms have the potential to damage power lines and infrastructure,
or cause trees to fall on power lines. Typically, damage is confined to localized
areas, and utility crews can restore power within hours. Large-scale events,
however, such as hurricanes or ice storms, have the potential to disrupt power for
a widespread area for an extended period of time. In Georgia, between 2004
and 2009, all major disturbances and unusual occurrences in the provision of
electricity have been associated with natural hazards (thunderstorms, ice storms,
tropical storms, and hurricanes) rather than a failure of the facility or network.
Transportation Incidents
Georgia is criss-crossed by an extensive transportation network featuring roads,
highways, and rail lines. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta has
consistently ranked as the busiest or one of the most busy airports in the world. In
addition, the Ports of Savannah and Brunswick handle significant container
traffic throughout the year; in 2007, the Port of Savannah was ranked as the
fourth-busiest and fastest-growing container terminal in the US. The extent of
Georgia’s transportation network and intensity of activity raise the threat of
potential transportation incidents. Most transportation incidents are confined to
the roadway network and can be mitigated in hours. However, there is the
potential for larger scale incidents with more wide-reaching impacts, such as an
airplane crash, major train derailment, or port-related incident.
Structural Collapse
A structural collapse refers to: (a) the collapse of a multi-story office building,
apartment, hotel, or similar building, or (b) the collapse of a major bridge or
other transportation/infrastructure component. These events have high potential
to cause multiple injuries or casualties. If a transportation facility is affected,
movement of goods and people will be interrupted, and there may be major
economic impact. Such buildings and facilities are located across the State.
Structural collapses may occur due to natural events, such as a tornado,
earthquake, or storm surge associated with a hurricane. Human error is also
sometimes to blame. In June 2009, a parking deck in midtown Atlanta partially
collapsed, causing extensive damage to vehicles. In 2008, a bridge at the
Atlanta Botanical Gardens collapsed during construction, killing one worker and
injuring 18 others.
Radiological Release
A release of radiological material may occur (a) from an incident at a nuclear
power plant, or (b) during shipment of transuranic waste through Georgia.
Georgia Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company, operates two nuclear plants
in Georgia – Plant Vogtle near Waynesboro and Plant Hatch near Baxley. Two
Georgia Emergency Operations Plan 2013 15 of 71