Published on August 30, 2019
Do you own, manage, or purchase for a hotel property along a coastal region?
Hurricane Dorian, right, as viewed from the GOES-East satellite on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019. Image credit: NOAA/NESDIS/STAR/GOES-East
If so, you may be familiar with the immediate losses suffered when natural disasters hit. Aside from first-hand damages, there are other behind-the-scenes events that will certainly bring consequential damages to your project throughout the rebuilding stages of your valued property.
In the NEWS:
Just five days ago, Tropical Storm Dorian was tracking toward the Caribbean. A hurricane watch was issued for the Windward Islands and it was thought to move toward Puerto Rico and Hispaniola.
At the time, experts were very uncertain about the potential threat Dorian would bring to the Caribbean, as well as, the possible threat to The Bahamas and Florida.
Weather is difficult to predict, and small storms like Dorian can be very powerful, making it even harder for experts to forecast.
As of Friday morning,
Hurricane Dorian, is moving through the western Atlantic Ocean and a hurricane watch has been issued for the northwestern Bahamas making its way to the southeastern U.S. this Labor Day weekend into next week!
This is a major threat to the southeast United States. Every county in Florida is under a state of emergency.This could be the strongest hurricane to hit the east coast in 27 years.
Please note: There is still a lot of uncertainty on the exact track Dorian will take - but despite the path, Dorian will likely be a Dangerous hurricane.
Here's what our clients should know:
For our clients with hotel properties along the path of destruction here is what you can expect:
Power Outages and Port congestion:
The Port of Canaveral has set port condition at “Whiskey” meaning gale force winds are expected and all commercial vessels/oceangoing barges must make plans to leave the port. Any incoming vessel will need to be re-routed. Which could incur additional charges.
Infrastructure threats:
Direct property damage is obviously a concern. The things we don’t think about are damages to the roads and bridges that cause detours. Expect immediate delays, as well as on-going delays for road construction.
Stored goods and Transport Capacity:
Warehouses may be compromised along with any goods stored inside. In that event, any salvageable goods will need to be transferred to a different warehouse, once it is safe to do so.
It is important to note: When it comes to a Category 3 hurricane or higher the air quality alone can deem a product inadequate even if there are no signs of concealed damages. Labor shortages can be expected.
Domestic trucking is likely to see an influx in rates as well as a decrease in capacity. Increased demand, driver shortages, and fuel production/cost can pay heavily into domestic rates.
Where Audit Logistics comes in:
We understand that these things happen. Our job is to foresee the potential threats, provide solutions to best avoid them, and do what we can in the aftermath to get your project back on track as quickly as possible while being cost-effective.
We are no strangers to sourcing new warehouses, diverting incoming deliveries, storing containers, etc.
Our services are centered on a fiduciary duty to our clients.
We are an integral part of our clients’ team & success, natural disaster or not, we are here for you.
Steps we have already taken:
Our warehouse team has been speaking to their warehouses in advance of the storm.
We have moved drop trailers from one of our sites in Key West in the event the trailer is forced into its surroundings.
Please keep in mind carriers will not move freight on Labor Day and will likely already be holding shipments destined to Florida.
We will work with vendors and purchasing agents to hold any freight headed into Florida.
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