Florida-based grower-distributor Ayco has announced that it will fully shut its operation from Friday 8 September through to Tuesday 12 September as the threat of Hurrican Irma intensifies.
The strom, which was upgraded to a category 5 Hurricane yesterday (Tuesday 5 September), is the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin outside the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.
Florida Governor Rick Scott has already declared a state of emergency for every county in the state ahead of the impending hurricane, which has already hit islands in the Caribbean.
Ayco said that its leadership team was closely monitoring Irma, with the storm expected to create 'substantial impacts' in Florida and the US Coast, based on current forecasts.
'Safety of our team, and customer service is our #1 priority! We are coordinating with our truckers to keep them safe, while supplying our customers to the best of our ability,' the group stated. 'At this time, we are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best results.
'As the trajectory of the storm continues to develop, we will update you as best we can,' the group added. 'We appreciate you patience as we 'weather the storm'.'
