Storm Alert – October 10, 2024 – Hurricane Milton

Mansfield's thoughts and prayers are with those impacted by Hurricane Milton. As communities navigate the aftermath, we wish you a swift recovery.

Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday as a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Overnight, the storm barreled across the Florida peninsula as a Category 1 storm, leaving more than 3.2 million homes and businesses without power. This morning, Milton exited Florida, though strong winds in many areas will make fuel deliveries unsafe until this afternoon or tomorrow morning.

A last-minute turn southward by the storm helped avert a worst-case scenario for fuel infrastructure of a direct strike on Tampa, with the storm making landfall roughly 40 miles south of the city. Given the storm's counterclockwise rotation, the worst storm surge came to the south, away from Tampa Bay.

Mansfield is actively evaluating market conditions to facilitate deliveries as soon as conditions become safe enough. Before the storm, Mansfield and its fuel partners strategically positioned filled fuel trucks in nearby markets, ready to deliver when roads improve. Still, power outages, personnel evacuations, and storm damage will all make it difficult to quickly restore the fuel supply. Fuel terminals in Jacksonville and Fort Lauderdale have opened, while terminals in Tampa and Orlando remain offline during damage assessment.

Mansfield remains on Code Blue, unable to make deliveries or commit to delivery ETAs, for Orlando and Tampa markets due to numerous road closures, power outages, and terminal closures. We are actively working to arrange deliveries into these markets and will move off Code Blue as soon as market conditions allow. For the rest of the state, Code Red (72-hour notice) is still in effect. Southern Georgia remains on Code Orange, requesting 48-hour notice for new deliveries.

Now that the storm has passed, communication is critical. Please contact your Mansfield representative to let them know of any damage, changes in site hours, fuel equipment issues, fuel contamination, or any other challenges that may impact your ability to receive fuel deliveries. With the heavy rains and flooding, ensure your fuel tanks are free of water to prevent any damage or operational issues. For more information on post-storm recommendations, check out our What to Do After the Storm FUELSNews guide.