- Forecasters say Laura could cause an ‘unsurvivable’ storm surge.
- Houston was set at US Coast Guard Port Condition X-ray in preparation for gale force winds within 48 hours.
- The West Gulf Maritime Association anticipated Port Condition Yankee would likely be set around 9 pm ET.
The hurricane, now with 150 mile-per-hour winds, is projected to make landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday near the Texas-Louisiana border, reports The New York Times. In another news, Platts reports how Port Houston is closed on precautionary terms.
Heavy damage
The National Hurricane Center says “large and destructive waves will cause catastrophic damage” to a roughly 150-mile stretch of the Gulf Coast.
Laura is expected to make landfall late Wednesday night or early Thursday, most likely in the marshy plains near the Texas-Louisiana state line.
The cities of Lake Charles, Port Arthur and Beaumont are all gravely threatened by the storm, and all are under mandatory evacuation orders.
Serious storm
“This is a very serious storm,” Gov. John Bel Edwards of Louisiana said during a briefing on Wednesday, pleading with residents again to heed official warnings.
“In the five years I’ve been governor, I don’t believe I’ve had a press conference where it was my intention to convey the sense of urgency that I am trying to convey right now,” Mr. Edwards said. “Our state hasn’t seen a storm surge like this in many many decades.”
Houston Pilot’s Association
The West Gulf Maritime Association also reported that the Houston Pilot’s association was to shut down all vessel movements by 10 pm Aug. 25. The addition of halting outbound traffic followed a closure of the Houston Ship Channel to inbound traffic at 5 pm ET on Aug. 24.
Spot bunker activity
In spot bunker markets, trading activity remained quiet ahead of the storm. One source said that market participants were holding out to “see with what happens with Laura to see if we have to put any fires out,” figuratively referring to potential issues that might arise upon its landfall.
- Houston 0.5%S on the retail spot market followed gains seen in the USGC bulk 0.5%s marine fuel assessment, which rose $4.25/mt to $328.75/mt.
- Houston stepped $5/mt higher to be assessed at $305/mt on an ex-wharf basis.
Shipping sector
In the shipping sector, Americas Clean tankers saw freight fall off ahead of the storm’s arrival as refineries closed and charterers held off cargoes in late August and early September laycans.
Short-haul freight for tankers loading on the USGC fell 10% day on day on the 38,000 mt USGC-East Coast Mexico, which fell to lump sum $440,000.
Hurricane Laura, the strongest in U.S
If its 150 m.p.h. winds remain undiminished at landfall, Laura would be among the strongest storms to hit the United States, according to data compiled by Philip Klotzbach, a research scientist at Colorado State University who studies hurricanes.
And it would be equal to the strongest-recorded hurricane to come ashore in Louisiana — a massive 1856 storm that so devastated Last Island, a pleasure retreat for sugar barons, that it all but disappeared.
Did you subscribe to our daily newsletter?
It’s Free! Click here to Subscribe!
Source: Platts & The New York Times
