Hurricane Michael Preparations Continue as Landfall Approaches

Hurricane Michael is scheduled to make landfall today in the Florida panhandle as a category 4 hurricane. Nineteen percent of oil production in the Gulf of Mexico has been halted in preparation for Hurricane Michael, according to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE).
More
 

Category 4 Hurricane Michael is scheduled to make landfall today in the Florida panhandle, marking what Gov. Scott has called the worst storm in 100 years. 

Residents continue to evacuate, and about 40 percent of oil production in the Gulf of Mexico has been halted in preparation for Hurricane Michael, according to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE).

[BSEE Reports Hurricane Michael Activity Statistics

More than 32,000 barrels per day of production currently is out of service, the agency reported. Personnel have been evacuated from 75 oil drilling production platforms and another eight dynamically positioned rigs have been moved out of the storm's path.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has declared a regional emergency for states that could be affected by Hurricane Michael, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The declaration was issued to address the "need for immediate transportation of supplies, equipment, and persons," and to provide necessary emergency relief.

[FMCSA Regional Declaration of Emergency

The declaration of a state of emergency automatically triggers price gouging laws and waives Federal Hours of Service (HOS) requirements for commercial vehicles transporting emergency equipment, supplies or personnel and enables state agencies to mobilize resources in advance of a storm.  

Declarations of Emergency for Florida and Alabama can be found here.

Earlier in the week, Georgia waived Hours-of-Service requirements in 92 counties

 

Subscribe to Updates

NATSO provides a breadth of information created to strengthen travel plazas’ ability to meet the needs of the travelling public in an age of disruption. This includes knowledge filled blog posts, articles and publications. If you would like to receive a digest of blog post and articles directly in your inbox, please provide your name, email and the frequency of the updates you want to receive the email digest.