STORM ALERT – October 8, 2024 – Hurricane Milton

Hurricane Milton weakened slightly from a Category 5 to a Category 4 storm this morning but remains “an extremely dangerous hurricane” as it approaches Florida. After intensifying rapidly on Monday, with winds reaching 180 mph, the storm’s winds decreased to 155 mph on Tuesday. Milton is expected to shift toward the northeast through Wednesday before crossing the Gulf of Mexico and landing on Florida’s west coast Wednesday night.

Several Tampa fuel terminals have shut off supply in preparation for Hurricane Milton. Others are closing this week for planned maintenance, which will further restrict the market. Carrier capacity remains limited, with long lines at the terminals continuing to reduce capacity. While long-hauling deliveries are currently possible, many carriers are beginning to pull trucks off the road so their drivers can make preparations with their families. Because of evacuation traffic, fuel trucks driving south to Tampa cannot easily turn north to access available markets, creating further challenges for logistics.

Fuel trucks cannot safely deliver when wind speeds exceed 35 mph, which will bring Florida fuel deliveries to a near-halt by tomorrow. Wind speeds throughout the Florida peninsula will exceed 35 mph as early as tomorrow morning, and will likely last through Friday morning. During that time, fuel deliveries will be halted for safety.

After Hurricane Milton passes, the extent of road damage could make many areas impassable, creating further constraints for fuel carriers. Even as terminals reopen, carriers may face significant delays, potentially waiting hours at the terminal to load fuel. Once on the road, traffic congestion caused by residents and emergency crews returning to the area could lead to even longer delays, further slowing fuel distribution and prolonging supply shortages. Many of Tampa’s fuel terminals are located directly on the bay, putting them directly in the path of the 10-15 ft storm surge predicted over the next few days.

Mansfield is working around the clock to ensure customer fueling operations are minimally impacted by the storm. Mansfield encourages all customers to be cautious when ordering fuel to ensure that 1) the fuel is urgently needed and 2) will fit within the tank when delivered. Given the limited refueling capacity ahead of the storm, any freight slowdown from retained deliveries will cause significant challenges impacting overall market conditions. Check out Mansfield’s What To Do Before the Storm guidelines for further guidance.

Mansfield is actively working to supply customers ahead of the storm. Mansfield is keeping all Florida markets in Code Red, requesting 72-hour notice for new deliveries. Mansfield is also keeping southern Georgia, including Macon, Bainbridge, and Albany, in Code Orange, requesting 48-hour notices.