Hurricane Dorian brought coastal flooding to the Carolinas on Sept. 5 as the Category 2 storm continued to crawl its way up the East Coast. In addition to a high storm surge and heavy rainfall, Dorian generated destructive winds and tornado activity in the Carolinas, with storm impacts expected in Virginia and coastal areas of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions into the weekend.
Several fertilizer producers and wholesale suppliers in the Southeast said they were taking steps to avoid damage from the storm. Carolina-Eastern Inc. told Green Markets it had “lifted” chemicals in its coastal sites to higher locations in advance of the storm.
Nutrien Inc. reported on Sept. 4 that its Aurora, N.C., phosphate mine and plant was in the process of shutting down in preparation for the storm. “Aurora is now under a hurricane warning and expecting conditions to deteriorate starting tomorrow afternoon,” Nutrien Spokesman Will Tigley said. “The plant is in the process of shutting down and securing for the storm. We expect to resume normal operations on Saturday.”
Southern States Cooperative, which operates fertilizer plants at Lumberton, N.C., Statesville, N.C., and Darlington, S.C., told Green Markets on Sept. 5 that it had worked “in advance to secure our facilities in order for our employees to be able to focus on their
safety and their families” during the storm.
“We have taken our standard precautions in preparation for the hurricane, which include asking local managers to monitor conditions to ensure employee safety, preparing facilities in advance to secure product, computer equipment, and other assets,” said Jennifer Gwyn, Director of Marketing and Communications for Southern States. “We will continue to monitor conditions closely through the storm and any potential flood threats that may follow. I am unaware of any closings at this time, but that can change quickly during such a weather event.”
Koch Fertilizer LLC and Yara North America Inc. reported no significant effects from the storm as of Sept. 5, but Koch said it was continuing to “monitor the situation.” Yara’s locations that faced potential impacts from Dorian include a terminal in Savannah, Ga., and leased storage space at Wilmington, N.C.
Wilmington was bracing for winds of up to 105 mph and 10-15 inches of rain, with Dorian’s full impact expected late on Thursday and continuing into Friday morning. The U.S. Coast set Port Condition Zulu at both Wilmington and Morehead City, N.C., on Wednesday afternoon, closing both ports and suspending all port operations.
One fertilizer supplier in central North Carolina told Green Markets that his location was expecting only moderate rains and 30 mph winds from Dorian, but flooding and power outages were being reported in eastern North Carolina.
“Our first real rain just started half an hour ago, and I do not expect any problems for us,” he said shortly after noon on Sept. 5. “We do have an issue now with the port closed at Wilmington, as we were trucking urea and potash from there. So we could run out of those depending on how long the interruption lasts.”
Meherrin Fertilizer Inc. had not responded to requests for facility and weather updates as of early Sept. 6. Meherrin operates multiple storage facilities in the Carolinas, both at coastal and inland locations.
ADM Co. on Sept. 4 activated its “hurricane readiness plan” and scheduled a shutdown of its Southport, N.C., specialty ingredients processing plant as Dorian approached, company spokeswoman Jackie Anderson told Bloomberg. “We are making alternative shipping arrangements when necessary to ensure we continue meeting customer needs during this time,” she said.
Bunge Ltd. said on Sept. 4 that it was temporarily shutting its vegetable oil plant in Warsaw, N.C., with plans to reopen the facility on Monday, Sept. 9. Spokesman Frank Mantero told Bloomberg that Bunge had no plants to halt operations at its Sandston, Va., operation, although the situation was being closely monitored.