Steel mills, pipe yards, ports and ground transportation were shut down on August 28 as the former Hurricane Harvey caused historic flooding along the Texas coast. After dumping 2 feet of rain, Harvey lingered as a tropical storm, with forecasts of an additional 2 feet of rain possible through August 31.
"Houston is a mess right now beyond anything that anybody could contemplate," said one steel trader who handles energy tubulars. "Plant operations and heat-treat operations are shut down, and nobody's at work—so nobody knows for how long."
The Borusan Mannesmann energy tubulars mill in Baytown, Texas—about 30 miles east of Houston—told employees that it would be closed for the entire week for their own safety. It is scheduled to reopen September 5. Next door, the JSW Steel (USA) plate and pipe mill has been closed since August 25, with a...
