Dive Brief:
- Airports, sea ports and rail operations in Florida mostly returned to normalcy Wednesday following a devastating strike by Hurricane Irma earlier this week.
- Florida's main sea ports began to reopen Tuesday. Port Everglades reopened fully, but PortMiami, JAXPORT and Port of Tampa opened with restrictions. Most gates and terminals are open for truck and cargo operations, but the size of vessels allowed to call may be limited.
- Miami International Airport resumed operations on a limited basis as of Tuesday morning, stating it is operating at about 30% capacity, building up to full operations through the week. CSX and Florida East Coast Railway are also resuming operations at limited capacity, although they warn of delays.
Dive Insight:
A successful recovery depends on the resilience of freight networks, as disaster relief efforts rely on supply chains to bring needed materials to affected regions as quickly as possible.
Efforts by organizations including the Red Cross and the American Logistics Aid Network are rendered futile if, for example, there is no fuel to fill the trucks or power to operate the forklifts needed to move supply. Similarly, construction supplies and provisions need a way to arrive at the ports.
The first of at least 10 fuel vessels arriving within the next 48 hours @PortTampaBay! pic.twitter.com/160B2wxQwo
— Port Tampa Bay (@PortTampaBay) September 12, 2017
The news that freight networks across the state have somewhat returned to normalcy are welcome: it is the first step for general supply chains' recovery. However, supply chain managers should note ports and terminals will likely prioritize moving pivotal cargo before merchandise with their already limited capacity.
