Journal of Critical Infrastructure Policy
and response purposes . We need to be in relationship with the principals who operate these sources and connections . But the answers are available .
With this information appropriately organized and relationships in place we can be much better prepared for rapid assessments that will tell us what has survived and help us understand the network implications of non-survival . This will also inform choices to prioritize reconnection and recovery of nodes and links that have survived but been disrupted . In the case of Puget Sound , it will be especially important to reopen links to external freight flows . Whenever and wherever possible maximize utilization of preexisting channels . Food will continue to be loaded on trucks , travel on trucks , and be delivered by trucks over roads from existing places of production and processing . Rather than try to replace , reusing and adapting preexisting structures to the altered context is preferrable . Recognize the gaps . Be creative in filling gaps . But honor the principles of conservation of energy and momentum . Starting from scratch is a very bad option , especially at the start of a catastrophe .
Consumer pull is also knowable , but more difficult . The characteristics of retail demand are carefully studied by each player in the grocery network and not readily shared among players . U . S . Census Bureau population and economic data starts to answer the what-and-where of pull . SNAP data tells more . There are grocery , restaurant , and other food system data sets that offer credible historical and future estimates . In Puget Sound , there is a concept of “ population islands ” and related “ infrastructure islands ” that serve as an organizing principle for post-Cascadia strategy and operations .
Pushing More Attention to Pull
Because of its preparedness for a Cascadia megathrust earthquake , during the first weeks of the pandemic , Puget Sound decisionmakers understood the need to preserve flows of demand and supply . They knew — better than most jurisdictions — how the population is fed and who delivers what to hospitals . Puget Sound decisionmakers actively communicated with these sources of supply before making decisions , shaped their decisions to maximize flow , and adapted decisions to unfolding shifts in demand . Puget Sound decisionmakers , both public and private , took extraordinary measures intended to shape demand .
Where many other jurisdictions were reduced to binary choices of open or closed , Puget Sound worked together to consistently communicate and coordinate while recognizing the reality of local variations in demand and supply . While many U . S . freight markets showed increasing stress over Spring 2020 , the Puget Sound freight market demonstrated — amazing — consistency , neither flood nor drought , but persisting flow . This is a helpful lesson-learned for Puget Sound and anyplace else that will pay attention .
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