Confronting a Nor’easter – the research must go on!
By: J. David Chapman/March 23, 2017
I spent the last several weeks setting appointments with some of the most distinguished architects, engineers, and developers in the world who office in New York City. As our team of researchers arrived, weather forecasters were predicting one of the most devastating Nor’easter storms in recent memory.
We woke up Tuesday morning to a “state of emergency” declaration by the governor. I confirmed our appointments and all were confident they would be working and anxious to participate in our research. The “state of emergency” issuance had shut down all surface public transportation and most subway transportation. Only essential city personnel were working. That morning, as we set out to conduct our business in the city that never sleeps, the streets were eerily empty. No buses running, almost nobody walking on the sidewalks, and no cars on the streets except an occasional taxi, which was our mode of transportation.
In spite of blizzard conditions, all of our interviews were conducted without a hitch. In fact, these architects, engineers, and developers, who are arguably some of the busiest in the industry, were willing to spend their valuable time discussing our research. After all, we were discussing ways to make crowded places and the built environment more resilient to the threat of terrorism. These architects, engineers, and developers were all involved, in one way or another, in the recovery of the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001. They were also all familiar with the bombing of Oklahoma City’s Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building and had many questions for me. They appreciated the role our firefighters and volunteers played in the recovery efforts of their city. They opened their doors to me and my colleagues, answered our questions, and spent time with us.
As a part of our research, we toured one of the most heavily traveled tunnels in NYC. This tunnel connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Queens. The tunnel was filled with saltwater during the devastation created by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. They are gradually rebuilding the tunnel, which requires it to be shut down daily from 10:30 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. for reconstruction. Our “behind-the-scenes” tour of the closed tunnel further confirmed the importance of the research work we do in confronting tragedy, whether caused by people or nature.
J. David Chapman is an associate professor of finance and real estate at the University of Central Oklahoma (jchapman7@uco.edu).