A deadly storm that that has brought significant flooding and other damage to at least five southeastern states has hit Norfolk Southern operations. CSX has also been impacted, although details are not currently available.
An NS advisory of midday today informed intermodal customers that the route between Portsmouth, Ohio, and Bluefield, W.Va., is currently impassable, and that railroad’s Heartland Corridor route — connecting the Port of Norfolk, Va., with the Midwest — has been impacted. The advisory says shipments from Norfolk/Ports of Virginia to Chicago, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Livernois (Detroit) are affected, as are movements between Chicago and Charlotte and Greensboro, N.C.
Rain was expected to continue through the afternoon and turn to snow this evening; NS said it is exploring detour options to minimize shipment delays.
CSX said in a statement to Trains News Wire that it is “implementing measures to protect our employees, customers, and communities after severe storms impacted parts of the South bringing heavy rain, flash flooding, and damaging winds. Our team is working diligently to ensure minimal service disruptions while maintaining the highest safety standards. Customers with shipments through the CSX Southeast and Southwest regions should anticipate potential delays.” The railroad said it is monitoring its mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions for potential winter storms this week.
The storm has led to cancellation of Amtrak’s Cardinal in both directions, according to the Amtrak Alerts feed on X.com. The eastbound train that left Chicago on Saturday, Feb. 15, has been cancelled between Huntington, W.Va., and Washington; passengers will be returned to their point of origin. The westbound train that left New York at 6:45 a.m. today has been cancelled between Washington and Chicago.
CNN reports that at least eight people have been killed in Kentucky as a result of the storm, as well as one person in Georgia, and that more than 400,000 people were without power in Georgia, Alabama, West Virginia, Virginia, and Kentucky as of 2:20 p.m ET. people in West Virginia and southeastern Kentucky were without power because of the storm. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who declared a state of emergency, said he expected the death toll to increase.
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey has declared a state of emergency in 13 counties as of a result of Saturday night’s rain and flooding. Morrisey mobilized emergency personnel and resources and delegated certain administrative powers to the director of the West Virginia Emergency Management Division to address emergency services, according to a press release.
— This is a developing story. Follow Trains News Wire for additional information as it becomes available.
