We would like to provide you with the following port and rail operations updates (as of 5:59pm EST today):

Hurricane Irma continues to track west over Cuba and is expected to turn northwest towards Miami, Florida overnight (Sat into Sun) making landfall as a category 4 storm. The forecasted track has moved further west but Miami, Port Everglades, Freeport, Jacksonville, and Savannah all remain within its path. Charleston and Wilmington remain outside the track but remain on a heightened alert.

Port Operations

Freeport 

• Port Condition: Zulu –  12-hour notice of gale force winds
• Gate Status: Closed
• Vessel Operations: Closed

Miami 

• Port Condition: Zulu – 12-hour notice of gale force winds
• Gate Status: Closed

Port Everglades 

• Port Condition: Zulu – 12-hour notice of gale force winds
• Gate Status: Closed
• Vessel Operations: Closed

Jacksonville 

• Port Condition: Yankee – 24-hour notice of gale force winds
• Gate Status: Closed
• Vessel Operations: Closed

Savannah 

• Port Condition: X-ray – 48-hour notice of gale force winds
• Gate Status:  Closed
• Vessel Operations: Closed

Charleston 

• Port Condition: Whiskey – 72-hour notice of gale force winds (Storm currently tracking west of CHS but remain on heightened alert)
• Gate Status: Normal gate hours are planned through and including Saturday, September 9
• Vessel Operations: Open. Vessel operations continue but all vessel must depart by 2000 on September 10^th

Wilmington

• Port Condition: Whiskey – 72-hour notice of gale force winds
• Gate Status: Normal hours
• Vessel Operations: Open. Normal hours – no closure planned at this time

Vessel Operations

Please see below for confirmed operational statuses of impacted vessels:

Rail Operations

CSX

• CSX Intermodal Customer Service in Jacksonville continues to operate with normal hours and staffing; any changes will be communicated accordingly.
• Gate Hours and Container Acceptance – Please note the following changes to local gate hours and acceptance policy for containers billed to Charleston, Savannah, and Florida:
  • CSX local gates in Savannah, Tampa, and Jacksonville are closed until further notice.
  • CSX has advised they will not close the gates at Charleston and the ramp remains open to accept dry containers.  No Hazmat or Live Reefers will be accepted at the Charleston gate until further notice.
    • Saturday Hours at CSX Charleston (0800 – 1700)
    • No gate hours on Sunday as per normal schedule
• Effective Friday September 8th, CSX terminals will accept dry containers in-gate for Charleston, Savannah, and Florida destination but the containers will be held at origin until train service resumes for those destinations.  This plan is based on the current path & projected impact of the storm and is subject to change. Please note the following exceptions to this policy:
  • Hazmat and Live Reefers will not  be accepted in-gate at origin.  All hazmat or live reefer shipments will be rejected at the gate for return to customer’s facility or CY.
  • Due to limited space availability, the CSX Louisville terminal will not be able to hold traffic at origin.  All containers destined for Charleston, Savannah, or Florida will be rejected at the gate until further notice.
  • Interline traffic billed for FEC destinations will not be accepted until further notice.

Norfolk Southern

• Effective, 1900 Thursday September 7^th, Norfolk Southern closed all origin facility gates for shipments billed to Charleston and Savannah until further notice.  This includes acceptance at the South Carolina Inland Port facility in Greer.
  • Norfolk Southern will continue to accept containers billed to Greer, with the exception of Charleston origin.
  • Effective at 0700 Saturday September 9^th, the NS Jacksonville facility stopped allowing shipments to in-gate.  At 1500 the facility will stop allowing shipments to out-gate.

FEC

• FEC continues to closely monitor the path of Hurricane Irma which is currently moving towards Florida.  Given Irma’s current track and forecasted path, please note the following adjustments to FEC operating plans:
  • Train Service
    • Effective at 0700 Saturday September 9^th , the NS Jacksonville facility will stop allowing shipments to in-gate.  At 1500 the facility will stop allowing shipments to out-gate.
  • Terminal Hours / Operations
    • All FEC terminals are now closed to all gate activity until further notice.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your local Maersk Line customer service or sales representative.

You can expect to receive further information on Monday, September 11. Please stay safe.