Please note, Compass Forwarding’s operating hours and customer service remain unaffected by the severe weather.
Tropical Storm Florence is hitting the U.S. Southeastern states of North and South Carolina, having recently been downgraded from a Category 1 hurricane, with severe flooding and sustained winds of 75mph as of 2:00pm EDT on Friday, September 14. The storm is expected to move to the north and west over the next several days, and has already been responsible for the loss of life.
Florence is having a significant impact on logistics throughout the Eastern United States, as detailed below.
Air:
Airports in the Mid-Atlantic are experiencing significant flight disruptions, with over 1,100 flights canceled through a 48-hour period. The worst disruptions are being reported at Raleigh-Durham (RDU), Charlotte/Douglas (CLT), and Charleston (CHS) Airports, according to FlightAware.
Ocean:
Several major ports were closed or subject to reduced operations in advance of the storm:
- Norfolk: Shipping channel and port terminals closed Friday, expected to re-open Saturday.
- Charleston: Vessel and gate operations suspended Thursday – Saturday.
- Savannah: Receiving restrictions but no closures.
- New York/New Jersey: No current impact on operations.
Land:
Rail operations on all major U.S. rail carriers have been disrupted in Norfolk and Charleston. Trucking movements in the Carolinas in particular and the Mid-Atlantic region at large can be subject to disruption or delay as a result of the storm and subsequent flooding. Spot trucking rates are already reported to have increased sharply in the region.
Please continue to monitor the Compass newsfeeds on http://www.compassfwd.com and on Facebook for more information on Tropical Storm Florence.
-Sources: National Hurricane Center (U.S.), CNN, FlightAware, Virginia Port Authority, South Carolina Ports Authority, Georgia Ports Authority, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Journal of Commerce