Norfolk Southern activates emergency response plan for Hurricane Helene

In a service alert, Norfolk Southern stated: “As forecasted, the tropical disturbance we previously alerted you about has now intensified into a Category 3 hurricane, with potential to intensify to a Category 4 before making landfall. Hurricane Helene is projected to make landfall at the Florida panhandle on September 26 around 7:00 p.m. EST. Norfolk Southern is already experiencing operational impacts (curtailing or ceasing train movement) due to high winds and heavy rains in Florida and South Georgia. We expect the impact to our operations to persist through the end of the week as the storm tracks across the Southeast and Southern areas of our network including the Southern Appalachians. Additional route restrictions are expected in these areas with high wind and heavy rain. As a result, we have activated our emergency response plan, including advanced placement of equipment and materials in strategic locations, and when it is safe for our employees and contractors to do so, we will work expeditiously to get any impacted routes and facilities back online and operating at full capacity. Customers with shipments moving through the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic should prepare for delays of at least 72 hours… Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through these weather challenges. Employee and partner safety and the safe handling of your shipments remain our top priority. We will issue our next update as significant changes occur.”