Hurricane Delta Update
Announcement Number: CN2020-53
Categories: General Announcements
Posted Date: October 8, 2020
To Our Customers,
We continue to monitor Hurricane Delta, which is forecast to make landfall along the Gulf Coast as early as Friday.
The New Orleans flood gate status is subject to change with some gates now remaining open. We are working with the eastern carriers on their availability to interchange trains as conditions allow. Union Pacific's Avondale, Louisiana intermodal terminal will be closed effective 1900 CT Thursday, October 8 and reopen at 0700 CT on Monday, October 12. This closure applies to inbound and outbound intermodal gate activity.
We have made preparations along our network to ensure any potential outages are addressed and repaired as quickly as possible. The following actions are being taken due to the predicted intensity of the upcoming storm:
- Curtailing operations in parts of southern Louisiana and southeast Texas
- Securing rail equipment in our yards, with some being moved to higher ground
- Generators are staged at strategic locations in anticipation of power outages
- Ballast trains are being sent to the area, ballast stockpiles are in place at strategic locations
- Fueling stations are also being added to supplement current fuel supplies
- Additional crews and other supporting personnel are on standby
- Command center set-up with 24x7 coverage
Our ability to operate trains in the area will be dependent upon the strength of the storm and the impact it has to our network. Customers should continue to refer to our Hurricane Planning and Recovery plan for best practices to follow during a hurricane.
We will continue to provide updates on this weather system. If you have any questions, please contact Customer Care & Support at 800-272-8777 or your Union Pacific representative.