CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S. — U.S. grain elevators along the Gulf Coast were shut down and grain barges on the lower Mississippi River were stopped as the area braced for Tropical Storm Isaac, Reuters reported on Aug. 28.
Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) closed four grain export elevators in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S., and Cargill said elevators in Westwego and Reserve, Louisiana, will be closed. Bunge Ltd is shutting down an export facility in Destrehan, Louisiana.
"We have activated our hurricane readiness plan and are taking precautions to ensure the safety of our employees and their families, as well as the security of our assets in the New Orleans area," ADM spokeswoman Jackie Anderson said.
The storm is expected to hit the coast between Florida and Louisiana by the evening of Aug. 28 or early Aug. 29, if it stays on its current track, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
The Crescent River Port Pilots' Association, in consultation with the U.S. Coast Guard, suspended barge traffic and the movement of vessels on the river from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to the U.S. Gulf on Aug. 27, said Capt. A.J. Gibbs, president of the association.
More than 100 vessels, many of them bulk carriers transporting goods such as grain, are affected by the restrictions, Reuters reported.