Storms slowing down supply chains
Looks like we have a wet start to the week for many areas east of the Rockies, and frontal boundaries will help produce plenty of disruptive weather. Monday, August 26 will be especially rough for truckers on tweener and long hauls between the Great Plains and the Midwest, mostly from Oklahoma to Wisconsin and vice versa. Severe storms this afternoon and tonight could contain large hail, extremely gusty winds and even a few tornadoes. Looking at the latest data from FreightWaves SONAR, storms may be particularly intense from Oklahoma City to Missouri and western Illinois, and localized flash flooding could lead to roadblocks on some secondary roads or interstate ramps in any given spot.
Heavy storms may also flood portions of the Gulf Coast from New Orleans to Mobile, Pensacola and Apalachicola, as well as areas just inland. This will affect the I-10 corridor, as well as US-90 and US-98.
Watch out for more record-breaking heat in central and western Texas, where highs of 108° to 115° will be common from San Angelo to the Midland-Odessa and Fort Stockton. These temperatures are 15 to 20 degrees above normal for late August. Drivers: spend as little time as possible outside your trucks and know the signs of heat illness.
Tropical update
Tropical Storm Dorian continues its path toward the Caribbean, likely drenching some of the Lesser Antilles late tonight or early Tuesday. Some wind damage is possible, too. This includes St. Lucia which is under a Hurricane Watch, as well as Barbados, Martinique, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines which are under a Tropical Storm Warning. Winds have increased to 60 mph, but Dorian could become a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 75 to 80 mph by early Thursday as it skirts just south of Puerto Rico. The storm could then make a direct hit on the Dominican Republic later that day.
The storm will likely cause disruptions to shipping routes all week, and operations may be impacted at a few oil facilities in the region. Dorian’s forecast track will probably shift a bit throughout the week, so look for more updates from FreightWaves.
Ocean freighters will also have to steer around a potential system off the East Coast of the U.S. An area of low pressure is spinning over the Atlantic about 275 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Atmospheric conditions are favorable for the development of a subtropical or tropical cyclone during the next 48 hours. The storm will then move to the northeast further out to sea.
Have a great day, and be careful out there!
