On 8 July, Hurricane Beryl struck Houston, Texas, making landfall as a Category 1 hurricane. The storm caused severe disruptions, leaving millions without power, halting inbound vessel traffic and container processing and causing extensive flooding across the region.
In a supply chain update, project44 reported on the hurricane’s impact on transport and ports. The Port of Houston, a critical hub for US gasoline and a major import point for the Gulf Coast, announced the closure of all terminals for damage assessments and repairs.
On 9 July at 15:16, the Port of Houston stated that “terminals will be resuming operations at our normal time tomorrow (Wednesday, July 10, 2024).” Additionally, it advised that “the truck office will also be open tomorrow for normal hours of operation” and “Import Free time will be extended to the ocean carriers.”
The two-day closure has caused a significant backlog, with over 250 vessels, mostly tankers, waiting to dock, according to project44’s supply chain update. This delay is expected to have substantial repercussions on the gasoline industry and retailers importing holiday goods, as this period marks the beginning of the ocean shipping peak season.
Despite the port disruptions caused by Hurricane Beryl, truckload shipments in the Houston area have maintained performance levels. According to project44’s update, on-time performance improved to 77% by 8 July, up from 71% on 5 July, before the storm. However, the volume of daily loads has dropped by 60%, indicating potential service interruptions as recovery continues and volumes normalise.
Renaud Houri, executive vice president of international markets at project44, shared his concerns: “As if the economic crisis was not enough to worry businesses ahead of the peak summer retail season, Storm Beryl and the spike in extreme weather are increasing pressures on supply chains. Now, it is fight or flight.
“In today’s environmental climate, with extreme weather becoming the norm, organisations must become more agile to overcome disruptions and avoid lasting impacts. Data insights are key to this.”
Houri emphasised: “Better visibility leads to better planning, and predictive insights are the first line of defence against delays.”
