RAPID: Hurricane Harvey Impacts on Interdependent Fuel and Commodity Chemical Infrastructures

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

1760459 (Allen). Southeast Texas, including Houston, is a global center for fuel refining and chemical manufacturing. Disruption of the highly concentrated and highly networked fuel and chemical manufacturing infrastructures located along the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast can have far reaching implications for national and global fuel and commodity chemical markets. The scope and magnitude of these potential disruptions are largely unmapped and the need for data collection on the disruptions is urgent. This work will develop a quantitative understanding of the potential disruptions to fuel and commodity chemical infrastructures that result from Gulf Coast hurricanes such as Harvey. Also examined will be recovery and mitigation measures that could reduce potential impacts. This project will create and deploy decision support tools that will improve decision-makers' understanding of the interdependent nature of fuel, pipeline and commodity chemical manufacturing infrastructures. Multiple audiences will be targeted including researchers, policy-makers, and the general public. Decision support tools will be applied to examine recovery and mitigation decisions concerning critical interdependent infrastructures.