DOZENS OF BARGES BROKE FREE AND ENDED UP GETTING STUCK AT A LOCK AND DAM ALONG THE OHIO RIVER OVER THE WEEKEND. NOW, CREWS ARE COMING UP WITH A PLAN TO CLEAR THE RIVER. THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD HAS DECLARED THE AREA NEAR THE EMSWORTH LOCKS AND DAM A SAFETY ZONE AFTER SEVERAL BARGES BROKE AWAY FROM JACK’S RUN FLEETING EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. A TOTAL OF 27 BARGES BROKE FREE DUE TO FLOODING AND ICE JAMS.
SO FAR, 25 HAVE BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR. 15 WERE VISIBLE AT THE DAM, BUT SEVERAL HAVE SINCE DISAPPEARED. OTHER BARGES ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE SUNK IN THE RIVER. AS A RESULT, NO VESSELS ARE ALLOWED THROUGH THE AREA. EMSWORTH LOCKS AND DAM HAS STOPPED OPERATIONS UNTIL THINGS ARE BACK TO NORMAL, WHICH COULD TAKE SOME TIME. FORTUNATELY, THE EMSWORTH LOCKS AND DAM WAS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED…AND THERE ARE NO ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS FROM POLLUTION.