Category 5 Hurricane Irma already is affecting the floral industry supply chain. Companies with employees in the projected storm path are encouraging their teams to take care.
Since writing our story yesterday on Hurricane Irma, EBrief editors have received additional updates from two of the industry’s wholesalers regarding how the Category 5 storm is affecting the supply chain.
Ben Powell, Mayesh Wholesale:
As of Wednesday afternoon, “we are already seeing Irma’s impact with disruptions in the floral logistics system. Some major trucking lines have announced that they will pause operations beginning Thursday.
We anticipate many inbound flights to continue through tomorrow or Friday but expect the airport to be shut down for at least a couple of days and potentially longer after that. Considering that roughly 70 percent of the flowers sold in the U.S. enter the country through Miami, it is likely that this hurricane will result in real inconvenience for many participants in the flower distribution channel.
On a personal level, the many employees of Miami-based floral importers are struggling with balancing the effort to get flowers out the door vs. battening down the hatches at home. Gas stations are running out of fuel and grocery stores are running out of water and other items. There is definitely a high level of stress as Irma approaches.”
Joe Barnes, Kennicott Brothers Wholesale:
As of Wednesday evening, “Florida has declared a state of emergency. We are working hard to get product moved today and tomorrow before Miami operations close down entirely.
The safety of our partners that help us distribute flowers is paramount right now. We will continue to update as more news is available. Please contact your sales reps with any questions about your needs for the weekend.”
In addition, as a follow-up to our coverage of Hurricane Harvey, FTD has set up an email address (HarveyRelief@FTDi.com) for florists in need of help. To date, the company has received two emails from member florists. The company also has committed a donation to the AIFD/TFSA Hurricane Harvey Florist Fund.
SAF will continue to share information on the storm and its effects. Look for more coverage in next week’s EBrief and in Floral Management magazine.
