Florida Governor Rick Scott and Alabama Governor Kay Ivey have both issued an emergency declaration as Hurricane Michael nears.
The storm is expected to make landfall along the Florida panhandle Wednesday as 26 northern Florida counties and the state of Alabama are suspending trucking regulations as part of the emergency declaration.
This is similar to the declaration declared last month by both North and South Carolina when Hurricane Florence hit the Eastern seaboard. The declaration is for motor carriers and drivers providing direct assistance to the emergency in the affected states and jurisdictions in direct support of relief efforts related to Hurricane Florence.
Counties included in this declaration are: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, Bay, Jackson, Calhoun, Gulf, Gadsden, Liberty, Franklin, Leon, Wakulla, Jefferson, Madison, Taylor, Hamilton, Suwannee, Lafayette, Dixie, Columbia, Levy and Citrus.
Alabama Gov. Ivey referenced the anticipation of widespread power outages, wind damage and debris from high winds and heavy rain as the storm hits. Like Florida’s, the declaration suspends hours of regulation for drivers hauling any materials, goods, supplies or services in the aftermath of the storm.
Hurricane Michael was recently upgraded from a tropical storm to a hurricane and is expected to hit the Florida coastline as a Category 3 storm. Flooding is one of the biggest threats to land, and more regulations concerning transportation through affected areas could arise.
After Hurricane Florence hit, roads were closed for several weeks due to debris, fallen trees and flooding.
Pilot Flying J
During the storm, Pilot Flying J, a United States chain of truck stops and long-time partner of Medallion Transport Holdings which is the parent company of NHH Services, will release updates on store operations. Here is a list of locations, which are int the storm path and their status.
City | State | Location Number | Operation Status |
Donthan | AL | 603 | Open |
Satsuma | AL | 075 | Open |
Theodore/Mobile | AL | 302 | Open |
Jasper | FL | 500 | Open |
Cordele | GA | 416 | Open |
Lake Park | GA | 631 | Open |
Valdosta | GA | 73, 4561 | Open |
Latta | SC | 4584, 713 | Open |
St. Matthews | SC | 4579 | Open |
Mariana | FL | 374 | Closed |
Midway | FL | 425 | Closed |
Quincy/Midway | FL | 623 | Closed |
Albany | GA | 260 & Clean Energy Site | Closed |
Tifton | GA | 192 | Closed |
Valdosta | GA | Clean Energy Site Only | Closed |
Vienna | GA | 398 | Closed |
Supply Conditions:
Our supply and transportation teams are working hard to ensure that product remains available at these travel center locations. Please expect high gas traffic into these areas as the storm approaches the coast.
Questions? Contact NHH Services
NHH’s Safety Team is committed to driver education and training to ensure drivers are continuously safe on the road and compliant with the latest laws. Contact us if you have any specific questions.