Atlantic hurricane season runs from June through November, and the most active stretch typically falls between mid-August and October. For importers moving containers through PortMiami and Port Everglades, that is not weather trivia — it is a recurring, predictable operational risk that shows up as stranded containers and demurrage invoices.

The good news is that it is one of the few disruptions you can genuinely prepare for, because the calendar tells you when to prepare.

What actually happens to freight when a storm approaches

Ports do not close all at once. They step down through readiness conditions as a storm’s projected arrival gets closer, and each step removes options:

• Gates restrict, then close. Truck gates typically stop accepting and releasing containers before the port fully closes.
• Vessel operations halt. Ships stop working and are often ordered out of the harbor.
• Equipment is secured. Cranes are locked down, container stacks are lowered, and yard work stops.
• Reopening is not immediate. After the storm passes, the port has to be inspected, debris cleared, and power and systems restored. Reopening the gate to trucks usually lags reopening the port.

Meanwhile the surrounding infrastructure fails independently. Warehouses lose power. Roads flood. Drivers are dealing with their own homes. Capacity does not snap back the day the port opens — it recovers over days.

The demurrage problem

Here is the part that costs money. Terminal free time and steamship line free time do not automatically pause because a storm closed the port.

Carriers and terminals frequently do extend free time after major closures, and regulatory pressure has pushed toward not charging for days when pickup was genuinely impossible. But that relief is usually announced after the fact, applied inconsistently, and has to be claimed. Planning as though it is guaranteed is how importers end up with five-figure invoices and a dispute that takes months.

If you are unclear on which clock belongs to whom, our guide on demurrage vs. detention vs. per diem explains who charges what.

A contingency plan you can actually run

Before the season (do this once)

Know where your exposure is. Which shipments are scheduled to arrive between mid-August and October? Which of those are time-sensitive?

Establish a carrier relationship before you need it. In a post-storm capacity crunch, carriers serve existing customers first. Being a new caller on day one after a closure is the worst possible position.

Identify a storage fallback. Know in advance where a container can go if your warehouse is unreachable or without power. A secured inland yard with capacity is worth more than a slightly lower rate.

Confirm your own facility’s resilience. Generator? Flood exposure? If your warehouse goes dark for four days, where does inbound freight go?

When a storm enters the forecast cone (roughly 3–5 days out)

Pull anything you can, early. A container sitting on a secured yard is a far better position than a container in a terminal stack that is about to close. Pre-pulls exist for exactly this — see what is a container pre-pull.

Prioritize honestly. Perishables, pharmaceuticals, and reefers first. Reefers need power, and a reefer without a plug is a total loss timer.

Document your free-time position. Screenshot last free days and current container status before the closure. That documentation is what makes a demurrage waiver claim succeed later.

Return empties now. Every empty you get back before gates close is per diem you do not accrue during the shutdown.

Talk to your carrier about their plan. Where are their trucks and chassis being staged? Are they moving equipment out of flood-prone areas?

During the closure

Do not chase. Nothing moves and calls do not change that. Use the time to build the queue: sequence which containers you want first when gates reopen, and get that list to your carrier before the reopening announcement rather than after.

After reopening

Expect a backlog. Everyone’s containers became urgent simultaneously. This is the same congestion dynamic covered in port congestion and how shippers keep freight moving.

Claim your free time. If the ocean carrier or terminal announces extended free time, make sure it was actually applied to your containers. Check the invoice.

Inspect before you accept. Water intrusion is a real risk. Note damage on the interchange receipt at the time of pickup, not a week later.

Be flexible on equipment. In a recovery week, taking whatever chassis is available beats waiting for the ideal configuration.

The underlying principle

Hurricane contingency is really just buffer. Containers pulled early, storage arranged in advance, empties returned promptly, and a carrier who already knows your name. None of it is exotic — it is the same discipline that keeps costs down in a normal month, applied with more urgency because the calendar says to.

South Florida importers who treat August through October as a distinct operating mode rather than business as usual consistently come out of storm weeks in better shape. If you need a secured yard position or want to talk through a plan for your containers, our yard storage page has the details and contact reaches our team directly.

Frequently asked questions

Does demurrage stop when a port closes for a hurricane?

Not automatically. Terminals and ocean carriers often extend free time after major closures, but relief is typically announced afterward and has to be verified on your invoice. Document your container status and free-time position before the closure so you can support a waiver claim.

How far in advance should I pull containers before a storm?

As soon as a credible forecast puts South Florida in the cone, which usually gives several days of notice. Truck gates generally close before the port itself does, so waiting until closure is announced means competing with everyone else for the last available appointments.

What happens to refrigerated containers during a port closure?

Reefers require continuous power, so they are the highest priority to move to a facility that can plug them in or has generator backup. Confirm your carrier’s or yard’s reefer power capability before hurricane season rather than during a storm watch.