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CUSTOMER ALERT: Hurricane Michael

Published Date

Weather Alert: Hurricane Michael expected to hit Florida Panhandle as Category 4

Update as of Wednesday, October 10 at 10:00a.m.

As of Wednesday morning, Hurricane Michael is predicted to hit the Florida Panhandle as a Category 4 hurricane. If this unprecedented storm crosses the coast, it would be the first time on record that a Category 4 hurricane has ever made landfall in this “Big Bend” area of Florida’s coast.

According to the National Weather Service – Tallahassee, officials are calling for immediate evacuation for the Panhandle coastline. Severe rainfall and power outage are expected as Hurricane Michael makes landfall this morning. Winds in excess of 100+mph are expected and reports of high water levels have already been reported.

(Source: National Weather Service)

What could this mean for you?

If you live or work in the path of Hurricane Michael, please be safe by monitoring national and local weather news updates. Although we hope for the best, please be prepared and stay informed. Up-to-date information from the National Hurricane Center can be found by clicking here.

Beyond taking critical safety measures, be aware of infrastructure and transportation news updates. It’s not uncommon for inbound and outbound capacity to be limited or disrupted during and after extreme weather events such as these, and for freight costs to be potentially inflated. As of now, companies are only taking proactive measures that make it difficult to quantify what the true impact will be. As the storm makes landfall, damage from the storm will need to be assessed before actions are taken that will largely impact supply chains. Below are some potential complications due to Hurricane Michael:

  • Facilities in the FL Panhandle, GA, SC, NC, and some Mid-Atlantic states may experience a backlog of freight on their docks from being closed. Shippers may source from somewhere else if they can, otherwise they will have to wait until things are back in motion.
  • Shippers that need to get the product into the facilities in NC, SC, GA, and FL may be backlogged because there likely won’t be anyone available to receive them. 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 supply demand due to unavailable equipment, drivers and/or lanes.
  • If the affected area gets hit badly, demand for disaster relief freight may spike.

As evident from the recent events from Hurricane Florence, 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.

Please be safe and if you have any questions about a critical supply load, please contact your rep or call 877-6-COYOTE.