After no named storms had formed in the Atlantic basin for about a month, three are now impacting parts of North America. Shippers and receivers should expect potential delays in truckloads, air cargo and ocean freight over the next two to three days.
Fred
Tropical Storm Fred made landfall early Monday evening in the Florida Panhandle, flooding the Panama City area and other spots, as well as producing wind gusts of almost 70 mph in Apalachicola.
The remnants of the storm have moved inland and will dump heavy rain Tuesday and Wednesday in portions of Georgia, the Tennessee Valley and the Mid-Atlantic. Some places could see 6 to 10 inches of rain, leading to floods and possible road closures.
The National Weather Service has flash flood watches posted for Atlanta and Macon, Georgia; Chattanooga and Knoxville, Tennessee; Asheville, North Carolina; Greenville, South Carolina; southwestern Virginia; as well as far southeastern Kentucky. The NWS may issue flash flood watches for additional areas.
Grace
Tropical Storm Grace is moving through the Caribbean with 40 mph sustained winds as of early Tuesday morning. The National Hurricane Center is forecasting Grace’s winds to pick up over the next few days, possibly reaching hurricane strength — at least 74 mph — by the time it reaches Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula Thursday.
Along its journey, Grace could drop 10 inches or more of rain in parts of Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and the Yucatan Peninsula, leading to floods, potential mudslides and road closures. Power outages and roadblocks are likely due to the strong winds.
A Hurricane watch is in effect for the Yucatan Peninsula, from Cabo Catoche to Punta Allen. A Tropical storm warning is in effect for parts of southern Cuba and the Cayman Islands.
Henri
Tropical Storm Henri will be the least disruptive of all three storms. It was centered 130 miles southeast of Bermuda early Tuesday morning, producing sustained winds of 50 mph.
Henri’s center should pass well to the south of Bermuda later Tuesday, with some strengthening of its winds possible during the next couple of days. Henri remains a small tropical cyclone, with tropical storm-force winds extending outward up to 35 miles from the center.
Tropical storm conditions are possible across Bermuda and its nearby waters Tuesday, particularly to the south of the island. Swells generated by Henri could begin affecting Bermuda later Tuesday.
Related: Logistics groups ready to help during potentially busy hurricane season
July and August are historically the most active months for the Atlantic hurricane season. Look for more tropical updates on the FreightWaves website and social media accounts.
Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Nick Austin.
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