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Under the Gun: CSX Transportation’s Emergency Response to the Historic Flooding on the Fort Bragg Subdivision (Room Sagamore 1)

In October 2016, Hurricane Matthew brought widespread flash flooding and unprecedented river flood elevations to parts of eastern North Carolina. Hourly rainfall was estimated as high as 7 inches per hour at some locations around the State. Many structures were flooded, roads and bridges washed out, and sections of Interstates 95 and 40 had to be shut down for extended periods of time. Locally, Fayetteville, North Carolina received over 14 inches of rain from the storm event. On the morning of October 8th, 8 inches of rain fell in a 6 hour period. As one would expect, historic flooding occurred as a result of this storm event. CSX Transportation, Inc. (CSXT) rail movement on the Fort Bragg Subdivision in Fayetteville was shut down due to the flood damage. A 12 ft. x 16 ft. arch culvert failed during the storm, resulting in a large washout (30 ft. embankment height x 200 ft. in length) at the structure location. CSXT personnel, with the support of Amec Foster Wheeler Environment & Infrastructure, Inc. (Amec Foster Wheeler) and Pomona Pipe Products, Inc. (Pomona Pipe), began assessing damage on the evening of October 10th after floodwaters began to recede and the area was deemed safe. Although damaged by the storm, full track service had to be restored by October 10th to support time sensitive shipments to Fort Bragg Army Base. On the night of October 11th, Amec Foster Wheeler began performing the necessary hydrologic and hydraulic (H&H) modelling of the local watershed at the damaged drainage structure to ensure compliance with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood maps. CSXT, Amec Foster Wheeler and Pomona Pipe researched readily available materials to determine the proper repairs that would result in a “no-rise” to FEMA floodwater elevations after the replacement had been completed. This ensured no increased flood risks to nearby properties and prevented “after the fact” agency coordination after the repair was complete. After completion of the preliminary H&H analysis on October 12th, Pomona Pipe began procuring 2-12 ft. structural plate pipes to be built, shipped and installed no later than October 17th. As engineering design progressed, the contractor (Harrington Construction) began work at the site on October 12th. Necessary equipment was brought onsite so that the team could work around the clock until completion. Over 20,000 tons of aggregate material and 250’ of pipe was required to complete the project. In addition to ensuring accurate survey, design, and construction during the emergency repairs, CSXT’s commitment to environmental compliance prompted immediate communication with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to obtain emergency authorizations for the repair efforts. The work was completed within the requirements of USACE Nationwide Permits. Due to CSXT’s guarantee to its customers, the subdivision was opened to train movements on October 18th (two days ahead of schedule). This is a direct result of the combined effort from CSXT working with its consultants, material suppliers, contractors and regulatory agencies to balance the assessment, repairs and compliance to re-establish railroad infrastructure efficiently after a catastrophe and ensure that the movement of goods continues.