A spokesman for Greencore based at the site, located 40 miles from Boston, told FoodManufacture.co.uk: “Business is rolling 100% – just as usual. Production has not been affected. But it’s very windy and the rain is a-coming.”
While the manufacture of chilled convenience food at the plant was unaffected, distribution to New York, which lies directly in the path of Hurricane Sandy, was affected by the closure of transport networks across the eastern part of the county.
“The 200 people who work at the site will go home early to be safe,” said the spokesman. “But, I live 30 minutes away and I’m gonna stay to the end.”
‘I’m gonna stay to the end’
Asked if he was concerned about the impending storm, the spokesman said: “Yeah, I’m worried.”
The Newburyport site is a leading supplier of chilled convenience food in the north east region of the US.
Meanwhile, as the storm gathered strength, thousands of people in low-lying areas further south in New Jersey and New York have been ordered to leave their homes.
Also, transatlantic flights between Europe and north America have been cancelled and trading on the New York stock exchange was suspended.
The storm could affect up to 50M along the US east coast.
Perfect storm
Meteorologists have warned Hurricane Sandy could become a super-storm or perfect storm when it collides with cold weather fronts from the west and north. The hurricane also coincides with a full moon, which could result in a tide surge.
The 520-mile storm front is moving north-west and menanced up to 12 states for as long as three days with 175 mile-an-hour winds, heavy rain and power cuts.
President Barack Obama has signed eight emergency declarations covering the states of: New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Maryland and District of Columbia.
The storm has already killed 60 people in the Caribbean during the past week.
It is also disrupting campaigning in the US presidential elections, due to take place on November 6.
But the President told reporters at the Whitehouse today: “The election will take care of itself next week. Right now our number one priority is to make sure we're saving lives, that our search and rescue teams are going to be in place, that people are going to get the food, the water, the shelter they need in case of emergency and that we respond as quickly as possible to get the economy back on track.”
