Louisiana ports quickly restore normal operations after Hurricane Francine

Port Fourchon Executive Director Chett Chiasson told FreightWaves that the port “was very fortunate with Hurricane Francine.” The port did not experience a significant storm surge and did not lose power.

Chiasson said upgrades made after Hurricane Ida “proved themselves.” The Category 4 hurricane made landfall in Port Fourchon in August 2021, when the port took a direct hit. 

A low-lying portion of Louisiana Highway 1 had about a foot of water covering it after Francine hit, blocking access to the port. Crews began clearing the roadway early Thursday morning. Port operations resumed Thursday afternoon.

“I would call this the definition of resiliency,” Chiasson said.

Francine deals economic blow 

AccuWeather reported in a preliminary estimate that Francine caused $9 billion in damage and economic loss due to its interruption of offshore oil.

“Francine is the third hurricane to hit the Gulf coast this year, but this is the first hurricane to cause widespread disruptions to the offshore oil and gas industry in years,” said AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter. “Our preliminary estimate factors in the cost of offshore platform evacuations and operation interruptions.”

After hitting Louisiana, Francine moved into Mississippi. 

Hurricane Debby in August caused $28 billion in damage and economic loss, while Hurricane Beryl in July led to $28 billion-$32 billion in damage, according to AccuWeather.