North Atlantic (ocean corridor)
Detailed Involvements
Events with rich location context
The North Atlantic is referenced as the hurricane's renewed trajectory and the physical theatre where the carrier group is imperiled. It functions as both concrete danger and rhetorical cover—the 'Atlantic' as the place the storm is headed and where naval assets now ride out the weather.
Imagined as gray, wind-driven, and menacing; a broad, indifferent natural force.
Site of the impending natural disaster and operational battleground for contingency efforts.
Embodies the indifferent scale of nature vs. human plans; the ocean as both refuge and threat.
Open ocean—accessible only to naval vessels, constrained by weather.
The North Atlantic is invoked as the storm's theater: Sarah's back‑track places the fleet 'right in the path' of a massive weather system, turning geographic description into an existential threat for sailors and ships.
Ominous and remote — a hostile natural space that underscores human helplessness.
Geographic reference that defines the danger zone and clarifies why the ships are trapped.
Represents forces beyond institutional control that render political maneuvering secondary to survival.
Open sea — functionally inaccessible and dangerous; operational constraints due to weather and distance.
The North Atlantic is referenced via the fax Donna saw; it functions as one of the geographic theaters where forward naval units are reported to be operating, turning an overheard office rumor into an international operational detail.
Remote and operationally tense in implication—imagined foggy, choppy seas where ships are forward-deployed.
Geographic locus of reported military activity and the implied strategic risk behind Jack's secrecy.
Represents distant, hard-to-see military movements that can have immediate political consequences.
Not directly accessible to White House staff; access limited to military command and relevant civilian oversight.
Events at This Location
Everything that happens here
Donna finds a panicked Charlie and quickly calms him: his grandparents are safe in a Granville shelter. Her practical reassurance allows the staff to refocus immediately — and then she …
In Josh's bullpen Leo and C.J. discover by satellite that Hurricane Sarah has swung back toward the Atlantic — directly over a battle carrier group now trapped in a 600-mile …
Donna bursts into Josh's office with a small but alarming pattern: Jack has been sealed off in his office, using the NSC lock, meeting at odd hours and showing a …