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Weather Advisory: Hurricane Ida

Published Date

Important Hurricane Update


Hurricane Ida Makes Landfall

Updated as of Monday, August 30 at 14:00 p.m. CST

Hurricane Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon, LA on Sunday as a Category 4 storm with 150 m.p.h. winds according to the National Hurricane Center.

This was slightly more powerful than Hurricane Katrina's Category 3, which hit Louisiana on the same date in 2005. 

As of Monday morning, Ida had weakened into a tropical storm as it moved inland.

 

 

Threats of flash flooding will continue throughout the region, including:

  • Louisiana
  • Mississippi
  • Alabama
  • Western Florida panhandle

 

Louisiana was the hardest hit. 

  • Millions in Louisiana, including all of New Orleans, are currently without power.
  • Many roadways are flooded and impassable.
  • Residents told not to return to their homes for the time being.
  • The levee system (updated after Katrina) appears to have largely held up, mitigating catastrophic flooding in many areas. 

 

Resources to Stay Up-to-Date

 

Navigating the Next Week

If you live or work in the path of Tropical Storm Ida, please stay safe by monitoring national and local weather news updates.

According to weather.com, here's the forecasted path as Ida moves North and East.

 

Although we hope for the best, please be prepared and stay informed. 

Beyond taking critical safety measures, be aware of infrastructure and transportation news updates.

It’s common for inbound and outbound capacity to be limited or disrupted during and after extreme weather events like this, and for freight costs to be potentially inflated.

 

Potential Shipping Complications Due to Ida:
  • Flooding throughout the region may result in road closures, extending transit times.
  • Many facilities in Louisiana will have closed. Some facilities in Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle may have closed and will be experiencing a backlog.
  • Shippers that need to get product into facilities in affected areas may be backlogged. This could disrupt sales and supply chain movement if shippers outside the impacted areas have excess product with nowhere to send it. 
  • Transportation providers may struggle to meet demand due to unavailable equipment, drivers and/or lanes.
  • Demand for disaster relief freight will spike over the next several days.

 

Severe Weather Best Practices

These are general guidelines to keep in mind whenever storms strike the nation's supply chain.

  • Confirm your customers and carriers are open.
    Don't assume facilities will be open. It's always worth a quick call to double check.
  • Prioritize your freight.
    Depending on where you’re shipping, there may not be enough capacity in the market to pick up all of your loads.
  • Get as much flexibility on pickup and delivery as possible.
    The bigger windows you are able to give your transportation providers, the better chance you’ll be able to take advantage of limited capacity.
  • Communication is key.
    The more transparency you can give to your providers, the smoother the next couple of weeks will go. Make sure your providers know which shipments are most critical to your business.
  • Anticipate rate and capacity volatility in the near-term.
    Freight markets are interconnected — what happens in Florida can have a ripple effect across multiple regions. You may find plenty of capacity for some of your freight, and challenges in other parts of your network.

 

Coyote Is Here to Help

Extreme weather can potentially be life-threatening.

The safety of our employees, customers, carriers and their families are always of the utmost importance. Our thoughts are with everyone who may be affected by the incoming storm.

If you have any questions, or need any assistance, please reach out to your Coyote rep.

You can also gain increased visibility to your freight in our free digital freight platform, CoyoteGO®.