Most ports along the Gulf Coast remain open Wednesday as Hurricane Francine inches toward Louisiana.
A life-threatening storm surge and extreme winds are expected to batter the Louisiana coast Wednesday. The Category 1 hurricane is forecast to make landfall Wednesday afternoon or evening before moving across Mississippi, the National Hurricane Center said. The storm’s winds are around 90 mph.
The storm could strengthen Wednesday as it inches toward the coast but should “rapidly” weaken after making landfall, forecasters predict. Louisiana began experiencing tropical storm conditions Wednesday afternoon, the hurricane center said. The Mississippi and Alabama coasts are also expected to see tropical storm conditions Wednesday night.
AccuWeather meteorologists are forecasting a 10-to-15-foot storm surge along the Louisiana coast. Francine is expected to dump 4 to 8 inches of rain onto areas in its path. Local amounts of 12 inches are possible in southeastern Louisiana, Mississippi, southern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle through Thursday night.
Ports brace for impact
The Port of New Orleans, which handles containerized and breakbulk cargo, announced that New Orleans Terminal and Ports America were closed Wednesday with plans to reopen Thursday at noon pending a damage assessment.
Port Fourchon, Louisiana’s southernmost port, which plays a role in furnishing the country with nearly 15% of its oil, announced a mandatory evacuation of all personnel Tuesday evening. The port is expecting 3 to 6 inches of rain and wind gusts as high as 50-60 mph.
The U.S. Coast Guard suspended inbound vessel traffic at the Port of Galveston on Monday. The port — the fourth busiest in North America — said Tuesday night that Galveston was not expected to endure sustained tropical force winds but could see minor flooding.
The Globalplex Intermodal Terminal in the Port of South Louisiana closed Wednesday morning with plans to reopen Thursday morning, a spokesperson said.
Other ports were open Wednesday with restrictions, including Morgan City and Greater Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Houston and Corpus Christi, Texas, according to nonprofit American Logistics Aid Network.
Texas’ Port of Brownsville, the only deep-water port on the U.S.-Mexico border, reopened Wednesday after shuttering Tuesday.
The American Logistics Aid Network, which provides supply chain assistance to disaster relief organizations, said it was working with emergency responders and other nonprofits. The organization was monitoring the impact Francine will have on supply chains and coordinating requests for donated logistics assistance.
The Louisiana Department of Public Safety waived some regulations for motor carriers providing direct assistance to disaster relief efforts.