Virginia focuses on clearing diverted cargo

During the week-long closure of the Port of New York and New Jersey brought about by the storm, Virginia worked two diverted vessels and handled between 5,800 and 6,500 additional import containers that would have normally landed in that Northeast hub (an exact amount is not yet available). Also, 3,500 automobiles bound for New York and New Jersey came off in Virginia.

“There is nothing normal about this situation,” said Joe Harris, spokesman for the Virginia Port Authority, adding that the additional cargo movements come on top of the authority’s already-bustling business.

The containers that arrived in Hampton Roads were split between Norfolk International Terminals and APM Terminals Virginia in Portsmouth. APM, which got the lion’s share of them, is served by freight railroad CSX Corp. as well as Norfolk Southern.