Response to the 2024 Francis Scott Key Bridge Incident

On March 26, 2024, the container ship M/V DALI allided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland. This caused the structure to collapse into the Patapsco River, and resulted in the loss of six construction workers’ lives and the immediate closure of the shipping channel leading into and out of the Port of Baltimore. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) alongside local, state, and federal agencies  responded  to this incident. The following details  NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey  efforts during the immediate response and reopening of the Port of Baltimore, as well as ongoing support for future resilience.

 NOAA's Office of Coast Survey  was involved with the official response for over 52 consecutive days, which included 22+ survey days on the water, 32+ days in the Marine Transportation System Recovery Unit of the Unified Command Center, 19+ electronic navigational chart updates, regional  build-out of Baltimore bathymetry  with over 150 source surveys, and  8+ high-resolution bathymetry product releases .

These efforts contributed to three temporary auxiliary channels with newly established overhead clearances, and 3+ iterations of the limited access channels within the main Fort McHenry federal channel slowly being cleared wider and deeper (38 by 300 feet, 48 by 350 feet, and 50 by 400 feet). This allowed 400+ ship transits while the salvage operations of the bridge were completed. 

NOAA's Office of Coast Survey was centrally involved with the official M/V Dali incident response and worked closely with federal, state, and local partners in the Unified Command. The immediate response efforts of hydrographic and vessel-based lidar surveys established three safe alternate routes for shallow-draft vessels around the Francis Scott Key Bridge wreckage. Throughout recovery and salvage operations, the navigation response team conducted continued object detection surveys allowing additional parts of the main channel to be opened and vessel traffic restored in and out of the Port of Baltimore. As new surveys were made available and validated, NOAA's Office of Coast Survey published daily updates to the NOAA electronic navigational chart (NOAA ENC®) products. This effort to restore vessel traffic in and out of the Port of Baltimore and support response operations is consistent with NOAA's Office of Coast Survey safety of navigation and nautical charting  responsibilities and authorities  in support of commerce.

The response efforts led to a full Port assessment and priority areas from maritime pilots were identified. The Maryland Port Administration provided external survey data and additional data was collected by the on-scene navigation response team to address all the priority areas. All surveys from NOAA, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, and external partners were synthesized into a single surface of best available bathymetry by NOAA Office of Coast Survey's National Bathymetric Source Program. This synthesized bathymetry supports NOAA Office of Coast Survey's  mission to provide the nation with navigation services that support ocean-going commerce and coastal economies, keep people safe and secure, and protect coastal environments. 

 NOAA's Office of Coast Survey  responds to hurricanes and maritime incidents helping to ensure safe and efficient navigation. The navigation response teams provide time-sensitive information to the U.S. Coast Guard or port officials and transmit data to NOAA scientists and cartographers for updating NOAA Office of Coast Survey's navigation services. Here are some other notable disaster responses:

• TWA Flight 800 – Long Island Sound - 1996
• JFK Jr. Plane Crash – Martha’s Vineyard - 1999
• Egypt Air Flight 990 – New England - 1999
• Hurricane Katrina – New Orleans - 2005
• Deepwater Horizon – Gulf of Mexico - 2010
• Hurricane Sandy – New York New Jersey - 2012
• Hurricane Maria – Puerto Rico and USVI - 2017
• Hurricane Harvey – Houston Galveston - 2017
• Hurricane Delta – Lousiaina - 2020
• Hurricane Laura – Louisiana - 2021