Mercedes and Volvo have suspended operations at their factories in South Carolina as the state braces itself for Hurricane Ian.
The hurricane was downgraded to tropical storm status as it crossed the southern part of Florida but was then reclassified as a hurricane on Thursday when it caused widespread devastation in Naples and Fort Myers. Winds and floods wrecked homes, businesses, boats, and cars, including a McLaren P1 hypercar that the owner had bought only a week earlier.
At the time of writing, Ian is currently over the sea having vacated Florida but is expected to arrive in South Carolina on Friday. The National Hurricane Center has issued a hurricane warning for the entire coast of South Carolina.
Mercedes, which builds Sprinter and Metris vans at its Ladson site close to Charleston, SC, employs 1,600 people and is taking no chances with the incoming storm, and neither are the seaports that offer vital logistics support to carmakers in the state.
Related: Florida’s Hurricane Ian Takes Out A McLaren P1 Just One Week After Being Purchased
View this post on Instagram
“Due to the potential impact of Hurricane Ian on the greater Charleston area and to focus on the safety of our team members our facility in Ladson, South Carolina, will be closed tomorrow,” a Mercedes spokeswoman said in a statement reported by Reuters.
Volvo, which builds the S60 sedan in South Carolina, played it even safer, shuttering its Ridgeville facility just before noon ET on Thursday and confirming it would remain closed throughout Friday. BMW also operates a plant in the state but a spokesman told Reuters that the Spartanburg facility was located sufficiently far upstate that the company felt it was safe to remain open.
Carmakers aren’t the only manufacturers being forced to suspend operations due to Ian’s imminent arrival. Aircraft-maker Boeing halted work at its two sites on Thursday night in the interest of employee safety but said it expected to be back up and running with 787 Dreamliner production on Sunday.
