Timberland Investment

Forest products logistics was largely spared from the effects of Hurricane Sandy that hit the New Jersey coast one week ago. Within two to three days of the storm passing, most of the ports, trucking and railways with dedicated forest products breakbulk services were resuming services. This was largely due to the resiliency of the logistics infrastructure, but also to the luck that Sandy made landfall farther north.

Most of the East Coast ports dedicated forest products transport and distribution lie in the South and Mid-Atlantic region. The Port of Wilmington, North Carolina, the Port of Baltimore and the Port of Philadelphia, experienced some closures as precautions for the storm, but no significant damage was reported. These ports all resumed full operations within days after the storm.

The Port of New York and New Jersey, the largest container port on the East Coast, took the brunt of Sandy's 90+ miles per hour winds and flooding. However, by the Sunday, two terminals in Port Elizabeth, N.J. received calls from container ships. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey also said two more terminals, Port Newark Container Terminal and Global Terminal, would reopen today, leaving only two container terminals still closed.

Road closures due to flooding and power outages continue to cause the most disruptions to logistics in the Northeast after Sandy. Many trucking companies held their drivers off the road until the storm passed, in part due to transportation restrictions. CSX and Norfolk Southern railroads told customers to expect shipments delayed up to 72 hours after the storm as railways came back online. Gasoline shortages are causing delays in areas closest to the New York area.