Baltimore Bridge Collapse Has Far-Reaching Effects

As you have undoubtedly heard by now, there was a tragedy in Baltimore early yesterday morning. A tragedy that once again reminds us how much we should value our lives. And how important it is to be prepared for a crisis.

A nearly 1,000-foot-long cargo ship lost power and crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The bridge immediately collapsed into the dark waters of the Patapsco River below.

Eight people from a construction crew fell into the water following the collision. Two were rescued, with one listed in serious condition. The other six remain missing and are presumed dead.

Had it not been for quick work by Port of Baltimore authorities following a mayday call from the vessel, many others might have perished. They were able to keep cars and other vehicles from entering the bridge just prior to the accident.

Cade Courtley Addresses Rescue Efforts for CNN

Cade Courtley—4Patriots endorser and trusted survival expert— was called in to comment. This former Navy SEAL platoon leader was the natural choice to comment on search and recovery efforts. 

CNN asked Cade  to provide his input regarding this calamity and its aftermath. Last night he was interviewed by host Anderson Cooper. He was asked about the challenges of trying to rescue those who fell into the water.

“You’re 185 feet above the water,” he said. “So if you survive the impact into the water, you have tons and tons of debris coming down on top of you,” Cade said.

“If you made it through that, now you find yourself completely stressed out. Potentially injured, maybe in shock, in 47-degree water.

“Now, you are going to be unconscious in water with those temperatures in 30, maybe 60 minutes. And you are going to pass away in maybe one to two hours.

“So, the fact that anybody made it out alive is pretty incredible. Within two to three hours… we were in recovery mode.”

Major Supply Chain Delays Will Follow

Our hearts go out to the victims of this terrible accident, as well as their family members.

What will this mean for us? Very likely it will result in major supply chain delays. Including the transportation of food. Trade experts say widespread supply chain disruption is likely.

Shipping has been suspended at the Port of Baltimore. It’s a strategic hub for trade on the East Coast.

The clearing of debris from the bridge will be time consuming. Meaning shipping lanes will not open soon. The sectors likely to feel the most impact are food and automobiles.

Bridge Repair Will Require Months

Tinglong Dai is a business expert at Johns Hopkins University. He told the U.S. Sun that disruption could last up to seven months.

“It’s a 1.5-mile bridge. It’s not going to be built in a couple of months. It’s not going to happen in three or four months.”

Among the major brands that have distribution warehouses near the port are Amazon and FedEx.

Darren Spink is an associate fellow at the Henry Jackson Society. He said, “There also will be… impact on food supplies as the port handles significant imports of agricultural machinery and commodities.”

Agriculture Sector to be Impacted

The Port of Baltimore handles more auto cargo than any other U.S. port. Some 750,000 vehicles flowed through the port in 2022. The port also serves as a hub for other goods.

They include coal, farm and construction machinery, sugar, and salt. It was the second-busiest port for coal exports in 2023.

It is the largest port by volume for farm and construction machinery. As well as for sugar and salt. Bottlenecks in the supply chain are now inevitable. They will result in delays and higher costs for some goods.

Of course, the area will also experience major traffic congestion. The bridge had average traffic volume of 31,000 vehicles per day. All of which will now have to be diverted.

America Will Rally Once More

Again, we want to send our heartfelt sentiments to the people of Maryland and the families affected by this horrible tragedy.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge was named for the author of our National Anthem.

Once again, we will pull together as a nation to deal with this tragedy. We’ll continue to be the land of the free and the home of the brave.