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Weather Advisory: Hurricane Idalia

Published Date

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Hurricane Idalia Moves Offshore After Striking Florida, Georgia & South Carolina

Updated as of Thursday, August 31 at 9:45 a.m. CDT

Hurricane Idalia has passed through the southeastern U.S. leaving water damage from significant rainfalls in its wake and more than 250,000 homes and businesses without power in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

Idalia initially made landfall as a Category 3 storm on the Florida Gulf Coast early Wednesday morning. While its winds weakened and it was downgraded to a tropical storm as it moved inland, its rainfall totals increased. Some areas in South Carolina saw more than 13 inches of precipitation from the storm.

While flood waters have receded in some of the earlier hit areas, flooding continues along the Carolina coast.

Hurricane Idalia Info Center


hurricane idalia radar image
Image courtesy of weather.com.

States of emergency have been declared in:

  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • South Carolina

The state of emergency declaration authorizes the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide assistance and coordinate relief efforts in the wake of the storm.

Idalia's impact on the region included:

  • Destructive winds
  • Moderate flooding
  • Property and infrastructure damage
  • Disruptions to utility services

     

Resources to Stay Up-to-Date

Outlook for Shippers & Carriers

If you live or work in regions impacted by Hurricane Idalia and you evacuated in advance of the storm, please plan for a safe return by continuing to monitor national and local weather news updates.

Stay aware of infrastructure and transportation news updates that may impact your business and the greater community.

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 Idalia:
  • Flooding throughout the region may result in road closures, extending transit times.
  • Some facilities in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina may close in preparation for the storm's landfall and will experience a backlog. Facilities in the harder hit regions of Florida may remain closed for a time after the storm passes.
  • 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 may 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 the Southeast 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®.