Hurricane Update: Outer Bands Reach Florida, East Coast Disaster Preparations Under Way

Hurricane Dorian continues to move north, with its outer bands hitting the Coast of Florida. The city of Charleston, S.C., is the latest to be ordered to evacuate.
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Hurricane Update: Outer Bands Reach Florida, East Coast Disaster Preparations Under Way
 

Hurricane Dorian continues to move north, with its outer bands hitting the Coast of Florida. The city of Charleston, S.C., is the latest to be ordered to evacuate.

Hurricane Dorian is expected to reach the South and North Carolina Coasts, which continue to prepare for it to make landfall. Nearly 250,000 people have evacuated the South Carolina Coastal towns. Georgia is preparing for heavy rains and disaster preparations currently extend up to the Virginia coast. 

In preparation for Hurricane Dorian, state governments and federal agencies have issued emergency declarations that affect the Hours-of-Service rule for truck drivers as well as RVP and diesel waivers.

States of Emergency have been declared in Florida as well as North and South Carolina and Georgia. 

The emergency declarations waive Hours-of-Service requirements for commercial drivers directly assisting in relief efforts, as well as size, weight, and load requirements. In North Carolina, the emergency declaration automatically triggers the prohibition against price gouging. Both emergency declarations extend until Sept. 30.

The North Carolina declaration is here

The South Carolina declaration is here. 

President Signs Declaration of Emergency for Georgia.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Southern and Eastern Service Centers issued an emergency declaration covering Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennesee, Virginia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The declaration includes an hours of service waiver for motor carriers providing direct assistance related to the emergency, including transporting fuel. The declaration is in effect until September 28, 2019. 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also waived Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) requirements and is allowing reformulated and conventional gasoline to be commingled in Florida, to help alleviate fuel shortages from Hurricane Dorian. EPA also is allowing the use of 15ppm sulfur off-road diesel in on-road vehicles.

NATSO members still preparing for the advancing hurricane can utilize the following checklist to help keep their operations running as they work to serve customers or first responders.

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