Fallout from Francine: Hurricane Wreaks Havoc on Barge Traffic and Shutters Key Ports

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 21:13:00 GMT

Farmers in the southern U.S. rushed to harvest key crops like cotton and rice ahead of Hurricane Francine’s arrival.

Francine made landfall Wednesday as a Category 2 hurricane about 60 miles southwest of New Orleans, before weakening to Category 1. A state of emergency is in effect for Louisiana and Mississippi. New Orleans is under a shelter-in-place order after evacuation windows closed.

Impacts:
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) said that as of Sept. 11, personnel were evacuated from 171 production platforms in the Gulf, 46% of the 371 manned platforms in operation there. People have been evacuated from three non-dynamically positioned (DP) rigs, equivalent to 60% of the five rigs of that type operating, with a total of four DP rigs have been moved out of the path of the storm, 20% of the 20 DP rigs operating in the Gulf. BSEE estimates that approximately 38.56% of the current oil production and 48.77% of the current natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico has been shut-in.

Barge traffic has also been interrupted, with Mike Steenhoek of the Soy Transportation Coalition noting that barge companies are not sending barge flotillas into the region until the storm has moved on.

USDA reported that as of Sept. 8, 72% of cotton bolls were open in Louisiana, 69% in Mississippi, 83% in Arkansas, 46% in Alabama, and 44% in Georgia, leaving those fields susceptible to damage from heavy rains and wind.

The toughest harvest rush for a rice 🌾 farmer, is going full throttle before a hurricane. Overwhelming emotional, fueled with adrenaline rushes, pushing the limits, and trying to be perfect at an unsustainable pace. I hope all is safe, 🙏
— Scott Matthews (@SMatthewsfarms) September 12, 2024

Several port locations have also been shuttered with Port Fourchon, Louisiana, closed to vessel traffic along with ports of New Orleans, Plaquemines, Cameron, Lake Charles and Houma.

Flood Warnings and Destructive Winds

As the storm’s center moved north through Louisiana, officials warned of potential tornadoes and dangerous storm surge. Francine is expected to continue into Mississippi Thursday, with flood warnings extending to Florida. Francine brought hurricane-force winds, heavy rainfall, and storm surge to coastal Louisiana.

New Orleans reported wind gusts of 78 mph as the eyewall passed through. This marks Louisiana’s first hurricane landfall since the devastating Hurricane Ida in 2021.