New Orleans U.S. Coast Guard Regional Examination Center Closed

Published Sep 8, 2005 12:01 AM by The Maritime Executive

U.S. Coast Guard officials at the National Maritime Center have announced that due to the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina and heavy flooding in the area of the Regional Examination Center (REC) in New Orleans, the facility will be closed for up to six months. The REC in Houston was also affected and suffered a loss of communications, but U.S. Coast Guard officials believe its operational status will be fully restored. Officials at the National Maritime Center are currently drafting plans that will help provide credentialing services to mariners located in the areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Mariners that would normally apply for credentials at REC New Orleans can now apply at any other REC. The nearest centers not affected by Katrina are located in Miami, Florida and Memphis, Tennessee. Additionally, mariners that had applications filed at the New Orleans REC, that now require immediate issuance of a credential, may contact any REC for information regarding the status of their application.