English
2024/07/11
Port Houston in Texas resumed operations on Wednesday, July 10, after being shuttered since Monday due to Hurricane Beryl.
Beryl, a Category 1 hurricane at landfall on the Texas Gulf Coast on Monday morning, July 8, weakened to a tropical depression as it moved inland. The storm brought sustained winds and heavy rain to the region, including the Houston area, causing power outages and localized flooding, according to the National Hurricane Center.
On Tuesday, July 9, Port Houston announced extended gate hours for customers at its container terminals and advised them to monitor the port’s notices and alerts for any updates on terminal gate hours for the remainder of the week.
Port Houston was not the only Texas port affected by Beryl. The ports at Galveston, Freeport, and Corpus Christi also closed but have since reopened.
“In response to the impacts of Hurricane Beryl, the Port of Corpus Christi Authority has now fully transitioned to Post-Storm Recovery in accordance with the 2024 Hurricane Readiness Plan,” the Port of Corpus Christi stated on July 8. Port personnel continue to assess impacts, though no significant damage has been reported.
U.S. Coast Guard officials confirmed the reopening of the ports of Houston, Texas City, Galveston, and Freeport in a July 9 statement. The Coast Guard will work with coordinating agencies and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to continue assessing critical waterways.
“This is a positive step towards fully restoring a critical portion of the nation’s Marine Transportation System,” said Capt. Keith Donohue, Commander, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston. “Our team will continue to work tirelessly to restore the unrestricted flow of commerce through the region.”
While the closure of the ports was a visible sign of Beryl’s impact across Texas, other transportation systems were also affected. Maersk reported on July 9 that “a number of our Houston-based facilities and teams have been impacted by power loss,” though teams elsewhere in the U.S. and Canada are ready to assist customers. Maersk’s local trucking operations facilities were also without power but are expected to resume operations as the Houston terminal gates reopen.
U.S. Class I railroad BNSF announced on July 9 that its Pearland Intermodal Facility in Houston is now open after being closed due to the hurricane. While the facility is now open for ingates and pickups, with operations teams working through storm-related backups, “customers should expect lingering delays to traffic flow in this region as recovery efforts are ongoing.” Conditions and fluidity should improve throughout the day, BNSF stated.
