Communities in the middle of rehabilitation following Hurricane Laura six weeks ago now face a new threat. Authorities were alerted of the formation of Delta early Monday, October 5 in the Caribbean and “by Monday night it was already at hurricane strength. As of the 8 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center the system had sustained winds of 75 mph, having rapidly intensified 30 mph in just 9 hours.” reports CBS News.
While Hurricane Delta is expected to be less destructive than Hurricane Laura, it has been classified as a Category 3 storm in which The National Hurricane Center notes “devastating damage will occur.” Potentially impacted areas include states in the U.S. Gulf Coast, more specifically Louisiana and Texas.
“In a Category 3 hurricane, winds range from 111 to 129 mph. There is a high risk of injury or death to people, livestock and pets from flying and falling debris.” reports Time. Hurricane Delta is the 10th hurricane to hit mainland United States in 2020, making this year the highest concentration of storms to make landfall “after 1916, which saw nine landfalls.”
As the number of unforeseen circumstances (from a global pandemic to natural disasters) continues to rise, the supply chain and transportation industry must prioritize preparation and swift action to lessen possible repercussions.
The best case scenario includes having enough time to prepare and execute an emergency disaster plan. When time is limited having access to real-time data will be imperative to adjusting strategy to mitigate potential losses. Placing an emphasis on proactive rather than reactive efforts will be key.
Real-time Visibility
Material Handling & Logistics News advises “you should aim to achieve visibility and transparency into all elements of your supply chain, including the status of vendor bookings, purchase orders and the movement of inventory, using an automated system which updates data instantly rather than relying on manual updates which are slow, error-prone and out of date.”
ZUUM’s interconnected platforms directly address these shortcomings in manual communication with our digital document management and automated notifications. These features enable manufacturers to view the load status of all their shipments in one place at the same time, allowing them to focus on drivers carrying shipments.
Real-time ETA
Aside from understanding where shipments are from an operations standpoint, shippers and freight brokers are also able to see the progress of a shipment from a geographical perspective. ZUUM displays the driver’s real-time ETA on the shipper TMS, broker software, and carrier TMS so that all parties can coordinate effectively and efficiently. In the case of hurricane Delta, any drivers traveling through Louisiana and Texas may be rerouted or advised to halt and find shelter. Once the storm passes, carriers can then notify drivers when warehouses are available to receive their shipments. Through ZUUM’s predictive analytics, each party will have visibility into a more accurate estimated time of arrival.
ZUUM’s Logistics Super Platform was intended to give supply chain and transportation professionals greater insight into their businesses. ZUUM offers the most comprehensive solution in the market to date and designed to help navigate events such as Hurricane Delta.
References:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hurricane-delta-united-states-gulf-coast-this-week/
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutgloss.shtml#HURRICANE
https://time.com/4946730/hurricane-categories/
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/07/weather/historic-storm-hurricane-delta/index.html
