Measurement Definitions
Recovery:  Percent Aids To Navigation (ATON) on station. Recovery is the percent of aids in the storm affected area known to be on station, although they may not be displaying the proper light or sound signal or signals may be at diminished capacity. Restoration:  Percent aids watching properly. Restoration is the percentage of the navigation aids in the storm affected area that are fully operational at pre-storm levels.
Amplifying Information
There are 1,789 navigation aids in the defined storm affected area, however upon further inspection, a total of 1884 aids have been discovered to be damaged/effected. Some waterways are restricted to daylight navigation only until lighted navigation aids are installed.
Data Source(s)
Field ATON units via the Eighth CG District Office of Aids to Navigation (OAN) Pilots Professional Mariners
Stakeholders
Pilots US Navy US Coast Guard	Professional Mariners American Waterway Operators (AWO) Recreational Boat Operators
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Where are Aids to Navigation (ATON) prescribed?  Volume IV “Gulf Coast” Light List, COMDTPUB P16502.4, describes each ATON by type, height, color, flash, exact location, etc. What is the purpose of an Aid to Navigation (ATON)?  An ATON is a device that marks the side of a navigable channel or a hazard.  Without ATON, vessels cannot safety move, could possibly run aground, sink, and/or spill cargo or pollutants. How many ATONs are affected and where are they located?  1,789 ATONs are located between Terrebone, LA on the West (90.52.00 W) to Perdido Key, FL on the East (87.33.12 W) to the mouth of the Red River on the Mississippi River (31.00.00 N) on the North to the open water of the Gulf of Mexico on the South (28.30.00 N). What sort of effort has been made to identify & repair ATON in the storm affected area?  Directly after the storm, all available resources, including ATON, were dedicated for Search & Rescue.  Upon being released from SAR about 1 week after the storm, ATON units began assessing the condition of ATON and making repairs.  Currently, 16 Coast Guard Cutters, 7 ATON Teams, in addition to resources from Coast Guard District Seven are focused on restoring ATON to pre-hurricane conditions. How are vessels and the boating public being notified of improper aids?  By continuously broadcasting notices to mariners via VHF Channel 22. What has been the biggest ATON challenge caused by Hurricane Katrina?  The ATON marking the entrance to the Mississippi River was destroyed.  Due to the position and size of this particular aid, ideal sea conditions must be present in order to safety replace this aid. What are Aids to Navigation?   Short Range Aids to Navigation are buoys, beacons, lights, lighthouses, ranges, sound signals (horns, bells, gongs, and whistles) and radar-reflecting devices that assist mariners in safely navigating a waterway by marking navigable channels and hazards. Why are Aids to Navigation critical to the Maritime Transportation System? Aids to navigation assist mariners and boaters in determining their position and safe course, warn them of dangers and obstructions, and promote safe and economic movement of vessel traffic on our nation’s waterways.  What are the costs associated with establishing temporary aids and replacing aids to navigation destroyed by Katrina? (Answer In progress). What happened to the Aids to Navigation that were in place before Katrina? Many structures were damaged beyond repair and required replacement.  Most buoys were washed up on land as the hurricane passed.  As assets become available, aids to navigation discovered on land will be collected and if possible, restored and returned to service. How many aids to navigation were in the area impacted by Katrina? There are 1,789 navigation aids in the storm affected area. Which Coast Guard units were involved in restoring aids to navigation following Katrina? Personnel and equipment throughout the Coast Guard were mobilized to assist in the recovery and restoration of aids to navigation in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.  Coast Guard cutters Joshua Appleby and Oak set aids to navigation while a task force from the Seventh Coast Guard District traveled in a recreational vehicle convoy to work on inland aids to navigation including the Gulf Intracoastal Watwerway. Will the Coast Guard be able to recover all of the aids to navigation displaced by hurricane Katrina?

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