Hurricane Hermine Customer Update #4

2016-09-02

Tropical Storm Hermine in the Gulf of Mexico has strengthened and has now been upgraded to Hurricane Hermine. The system is expected to make landfall overnight and then take a path through central and northeast Florida over the next 24 hours. In response we closed our terminal in Jacksonville today (Sept. 1) at 1600 hours. We do not expect to reopen until Sept. 2 between 1400 to 1800 hours. Saturday gate hours are expected to be from 0800 to 1500 hours.

Crowley’s corporate emergency management team, which is continuing to monitor Hermine, is taking all appropriate steps to ensure the safety of Crowley personnel, including our vessel crews, along with our assets and your cargo that may be in the storm’s path. We apologize in advance if your supply chain is disrupted. We will be sure to let you know if the weather impacts our schedules, operations or facilities.

Below is the latest weather projection as provided by StormGeo today:

Reconnaissance aircraft have found a steadily strengthening storm through the day today. Satellite indicates that a complete eyewall has formed, another sign of strengthening. Although our forecast takes Hermine to 90 mph at landfall, there may be time for Hermine’s winds to reach 100 mph prior to the center moving ashore late Thursday evening or early Friday morning.

Hermine will accelerate northeastward across southern Georgia during the day on Friday and along the coast of South Carolina on Friday evening/night. By mid to late morning on Saturday, the center will be near the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Once the center moves offshore, most models indicate that high pressure to the north will block its forward progress for a few days. Our forecast has the center stalled and making a series of loops between Sunday and Wednesday of next week. During this time, Hermine’s center may pass within 75 miles of the coast, resulting in tropical storm conditions across coastal counties. By Wednesday, Hermine is forecast to begin moving slowly off to the northeast away from the U.S. coast.

Concerning intensity, we think that Hermine will slowly weaken below hurricane strength once inland over northern Florida, but winds may remain in the 50-60 mph range as the center accelerates northeastward along the southeast U.S. coast on Friday and Saturday. Strongest winds will be located east of the track. As Hermine stalls offshore southern New England on Sunday, it will be undergoing a transition from a tropical storm to an extratropical storm. When this happens, the wind field will expand. Tropical storm-force winds will likely extend to the U.S. coast while the center is stalled and performing several loops offshore. The result may be an extended period of northerly winds 30 mph to 45 mph with higher gusts from southern Maryland through Cape Code from Sunday through Tuesday.