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Weather Advisory: Tropical Storm Fred

Important Hurricane Update

Tropical Storm Fred Makes Landfall, Weakens to a Tropical Depression

Update as of Tuesday, August 17 at 11:00 a.m. CST

Tropical Storm Fred has made landfall in the Florida Panhandle and weakened into a tropical depression.

However, threats of flooding and isolated tornadoes will continue throughout the region.

Fred will continue to spread inland across parts of Alabama, Georgia, the western Carolinas and the mid-Atlantic region.

 

 

The National Hurricane Center has issued its final advisory on Fred.

Stay tuned to the National Weather Service for flood advisory updates.

Currently, there are flood watches in the following regions:

  • Northern & Western Georgia
  • Upstate South Carolina
  • Western North Carolina
  • Eastern Tennessee 
  • Southwest Virginia
  • Eastern Kentucky
  • Southern West Virginia

 

Resources to Stay Up-to-Date

 

Navigating the Next Week

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

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 Tropical Storm Fred:
  • Flooding throughout the region may result in road closures, extending transit times.
  • Facilities in the Florida Panhandle and southern Georgia and Alabama may have closed and are 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.
  • If the affected area gets hit badly, demand for disaster relief freight may spike.

 

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®