Houston logistics services offline as all modes remain closed
As the U.S. states of Texas and Louisiana continue to absorb biblical amounts of rain this week from Tropical Storm Harvey, logistics services in the Houston area are still out two days after the storm made landfall.
Ongoing rainfall could keep much of the city – the 4th largest in the United States – under rainwater well into the week. With widespread flooding and the potential for extensive infrastructure damage, it could take weeks before services return to normal.
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) remains closed as of Monday afternoon, warning that, “commercial operations have ceased at both IAH and HOU until further notice due to severe weather. No inbound or outbound flights from either airport at this time.”
The closures have caused more than 5,000 flight cancellations in the U.S. so far.
Southwest has cancelled all of its flights into the city through Tuesday, Aug. 29, with Houston Hobby Airport (HOU) essentially cut off by flood waters. United, representing more than 58 percent of Houston’s market share, according the Houston Airport System, said that all flights to and from IAH are canceled until 7 p.m., local time, today.
UPS said that it is continuing to assess weather conditions across Texas throughout the day, but as of this morning, service remained suspended in 315 ZIP codes in the parts of the state hardest hit by the storm.
FedEx also suspended service to 230 ZIP codes in the state, stating that, “our priorities are the safety and well-being of our team members and minimizing the effects of potential storms on service.”
On the maritime side, all Port of Houston facilities remain closed, due to the “continued threat of inclement weather.” Some of the country’s largest oil refineries are located in Houston and many have been shut down over the weekend, causing some brief spikes in fuel prices this morning, according to Reuters. However, little is known about the extent of damage that may have been caused to refining infrastructure in the region.
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