Words from the Print Media

(an exhibition of words that appear in headlines and sub-headlines which all of us should know)

Emergency teams face a logistical nightmare

A "logistical nightmare" is a traumatic, very upsetting, or extremely difficult and troublesome experience or situation with the planning and control of the flow of goods and materials through an organization or manufacturing process.

International rescue teams and emergency aid began arriving in Haiti amid scenes of great suffering and destruction, but signs mounted of a looming logistical nightmare: The port had been knocked out of operation, and aid flights quickly overtaxed the Port-au-Prince airport, where damage included the collapse of the control tower.

—By Simon Romero, Alan Cowell, and Helene Cooper;
International Herald Tribune, January 15, 2010; front page.