East Coast container ports and railroads are deploying operational safety measures ahead of a potentially catastrophic storm that could bring heavy snow and ice to logistics operations along the I-95 corridor.
A wide swath of ice, snow and rain wrapped in polar temperatures stretching from Texas, the Midwest and up through the Northeast is forecast to affect 200 million in its path. Locations along the upper eastern seaboard are expecting the harsh weather to set in early Sunday and continue into Monday, with subfreezing conditions hampering recovery afterward.
The Port of New York and New Jersey is closely monitoring weather conditions and is working with terminal operators and other stakeholders in preparation, the Port Authority of New York-New Jersey told FreightWaves in an email. “Any operational decisions will be made collaboratively with safety as a top priority, and will be communicated to the port community.” It added stakeholders can visit Port Authority alerts for the most up-to-date information on traffic impacts or changes.
From 4 to 8 inches of snow are forecast for the New York City area
At the Port of Baltimore, the Seagirt Container Terminal, which is usually closed on weekends, will be open Saturday from 6 a.m.-12 noon. The terminal will be closed on Monday.
Ports America Chesapeake will shut down operations at the Dundalk Marine Terminal on Monday, Maryland Port Administration Richard Scher told FreightWaves, but other Dundalk terminal operators have not yet finalized their plans.
“We will begin brine/salt operations for our terminals today and work 12-hour plowing and salting shifts beginning Saturday night and continuing through Monday,” Scher said.
The Port of Virginia, the busiest mid-Atlantic gateway, in a message posted to its website said truck gates at Norfolk International Terminal and Virginia International Gateway will open at 8 a.m. Monday. Truck gates at Newport News Marine Terminal, Richmond Marine Terminal and Virginia Inland Port will be closed. Vessel and rail operations will continue over the weekend, weather permitting.
A spokesman said that the port expects minimal impact to operations amid a forecast of 1 to 3 inches of snow turning to rain, and that Monday’s opening may be delayed a few hours. “The biggest impact will be to rail cargo and that will be dependent on what the railroads do,” he said.
On CSX’s earnings call Thursday, chief operating officer Mike Cory said the railroad was expecting ice across its network from Nashville, Tenn., through Georgia, and snow farther north. As part of its preparations, CSX (NASDAQ: CSX) plans to have “senior coverage right around the clock in all of our key areas, including our network center,” Cory said.
An advisory by Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) issued Wednesday said no terminal or gate closures were planned for intermodal facilities, but that it would continue to monitor and adapt to conditions through the weekend.
– with reporting by Trains magazine
Find more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
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