Hurricane Season Pallet Planning
Florida Business Continuity Guide 2026

Florida businesses that depend on pallet supply for daily operations - manufacturers, distributors, food processors, retailers, 3PLs - face a predictable annual risk: hurricane season. When Hurricane Ian made landfall in September 2022, the Southwest Florida supply chain was disrupted for weeks. Pallet supply was one of dozens of operational inputs that became scarce almost immediately.

This guide outlines how Florida businesses should approach pallet supply planning before, during, and after major hurricane events - and how Florida Pallet Supply's multi-state inventory network is specifically designed to keep Florida operations supplied through storm disruptions.

How Hurricanes Affect Pallet Supply in Florida

Florida's pallet supply disruptions in hurricane events follow a predictable pattern in three phases:

Pre-Season Pallet Stocking: A Practical Approach

The window to pre-position pallet inventory is April-July, before the peak August-October hurricane window. Here's a county-based risk framework:

Risk levels based on historical hurricane track data and FEMA National Flood Insurance Program zones.

Post-Hurricane Pallet Supply: What Actually Happens

After Hurricane Ian (Category 4, September 2022), the Southwest Florida pallet supply situation illustrates what businesses face after a major storm:

• ✗Local pallet dealers were out of stock within 48 hours as retailers, contractors, and distributors all needed pallets simultaneously for restocking and material distribution.
• ✗Interstate 75 was closed or severely restricted for several days, limiting delivery from Tampa and Central Florida suppliers.
• ✗Warehouse and dock flooding in low-lying areas of Ft. Myers, Cape Coral, and Punta Gorda destroyed thousands of pallets stored at ground level.
• ✓Businesses with pre-positioned inventory continued operations within 72 hours of roads reopening, while those relying on JIT pallet delivery waited 1-3 weeks for supply to normalize.
• ✓Multi-state suppliers routing from Georgia and the Mid-Atlantic could bypass I-75 and reach SWFL via alternate routes (I-95 south then US-27 west) when I-75 was restricted.

Florida Pallet Supply's Hurricane Continuity Program

Florida Pallet Supply operates with multi-state inventory specifically to maintain supply continuity through Florida weather events. Our operational advantage during hurricane disruptions:

• ✓Georgia inventory backup. When I-75 is closed and Florida supply is disrupted, Georgia stock can route south via alternate highways. Savannah to Miami via I-95 bypasses the I-75 disruption corridor entirely.
• ✓Pre-season deposit programs. Lock in pallet pricing before hurricane season at April-July rates and pre-position inventory at your facility or in Florida Pallet Supply's network for priority fulfillment during storm recovery.
• ✓Emergency priority status for standing-order customers. Operations on monthly or weekly standing delivery programs receive priority allocation during supply-constrained periods, including post-storm recovery.
• ✓FEMA and disaster relief contractor supply. Florida Pallet Supply is equipped to supply government contractors, emergency managers, and disaster relief organizations with pallets for emergency staging operations.

Frequently Asked Questions