Tropical Storm Fred continues to churn toward Florida

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Tropical Storm Fred, which formed overnight in the Caribbean, continues to make its way toward Florida with sustained winds of 40 miles/hour (64 km/hour), according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).

As of 4pm CST on Wednesday, the center of the storm was about 75 miles west-northwest of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and was moving to the northwest at 15 miles/hour.

The US Gulf is a hub for chemicals production and in previous years hurricanes have caused significant disruptions to manufacturing in the region.

Most of the chemical production is on the western half of the Gulf and is unlikely to be impacted if the storm stays on its current projected path.

Ascend Performance Materials has a plant in Pensacola, Florida that produces nylon 6,6 as well as feedstocks hexamethylene diamine (HMD) and adipic acid, according to the ICIS Supply and Demand Database.

Huntsman International produces maleic anhydride in Pensacola, and Reichhold Chemicals has production sites in Pensacola and in Jacksonville, Florida.

Hexion produces epoxy resins and phenolic resins in Lakeland, Florida, according to the database, and

The Port of Tampa, Florida has moved to Condition Whiskey, which means tropical or hurricane force storm predicted to make landfall within 72 hours

Any changes to port accessibility can impact the overall petrochemicals industry, as imports and exports rely heavily on the shipping industry.

The following legend describes the port conditions.  

Port Condition WHISKEY: tropical or hurricane force storm predicted to make landfall within 72 hours 

Port Condition X-RAY: within 48 hours

Port Condition YANKEE: within 24 hours

Port Condition ZULU: within 12 hours

Condition IV: storm has passed and no longer a threat

Additional reporting by Anna Matherne

Click here for the topic page on US Gulf storms – impact on chemicals