With Hurricane Ian regaining strength and hundreds of hospitals at risk for flooding, the storm is headed for the region's largest container ports, Bloomberg reported Sept. 29.
"Major cargo carriers are experiencing widespread delays across their networks," Jon Davis, chief meteorologist at Everstream Analytics, told Bloomberg. "Ian is tracking northward toward key automotive, agriculture, textile and industrial hubs in northern Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, spelling further supply-chain headaches for major producers."
Florida ports have either closed or added restrictions to their operations as the Coast Guard monitors the weather and assesses the damage, Bloomberg reported. Georgia's Port of Savannah and South Carolina's Port of Charleston are also suspending operations.
Enki Research forecasts show the storm causing between $55 billion and $65 billion in damage. The extreme winds have already torn off part of a hospital's roof in Florida, and the president of the Florida Hospital Association told Becker's that some hospitals have "sustained structural damage."
Hurricane Ian is expected to hit South Carolina Sept. 30 as it regained strength to become a Category 1 hurricane earlier in the day. Having hit Florida as a Category 4 storm Sept. 28, it's tied for fifth-strongest hurricane to touch the U.S., and four states have declared emergencies, according to Bloomberg.