Alabama Refrigeration Trailer Rentals

What drives cold-storage demand in Alabama

Weather and hazards

• Tornado (March to May, with a second season in November and December): Central and northern Alabama lie in Dixie Alley. The April 27, 2011 outbreak caused 238 confirmed tornado deaths in the state. Tornado damage to utility lines can cause multi-day outages that often spoil refrigerated food and shut commercial kitchens. Source
• Hurricane (July to October): Hurricanes Frederic (1979) and Ivan (2004) caused severe damage around Mobile. Storms that weaken inland can still bring heavy rain far from the Gulf. Gulf storms can cause widespread outages that lead restaurants, grocers and plants to need emergency cold storage and temporary kitchens. Source
• Flood (Tropical season, especially September): Hurricane Sally made landfall near Gulf Shores on September 16, 2020 and dropped a peak of 29.99 inches of rain at Orange Beach, causing catastrophic flash flooding. Flooded kitchens and prolonged power loss can create a need for temporary warewashing and refrigeration. Source
• Heat wave (July to August): The state record high is 112F at Centreville (1925), and Maxwell AFB in Montgomery hit 108F three times during the August 2007 heat wave. Extreme heat can overload refrigeration and raise demand for extra cold storage at events and facilities. Source
• Winter storm (December to March): Areas north of Montgomery see a dusting a few times each winter and heavier snow every few years; notable storms hit in December 1963 and March 1993. Winter storms can down power lines and disrupt deliveries, which can lead to spoilage and kitchen outages. Source

Power outages

• After Hurricane Sally in 2020, over 71,000 households and businesses in Baldwin County lost power, about 95 percent of the local electric cooperative's service area; two days later the governor reported 103,000 Baldwin and 60,000 Mobile County customers still out. Multi-day coastal outages can leave restaurants, hotels and stores without refrigeration. Source
• After the April 27, 2011 tornado outbreak, almost 200 power poles around Cullman were leveled, about 4,000 TVA volunteers helped restore power, and some residents were still without electricity a week later. Week-long outages can far exceed safe food holding times and often drive demand for temporary cold storage. Source
• The 2011 Hackleburg-Phil Campbell tornado passed within 2 miles of the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, causing local outages and a plant shutdown. Severe weather can affect grid reliability across north Alabama. Source

Food and hospitality

• Alabama supplied about one-third of U.S. farm-raised catfish in 2020, with catfish sales of $307 million. Aquaculture harvesting and processing depend on chilled storage and handling. Source
• About 26 million tourists visited Alabama in 2017, spending $14.3 billion, and Gulf Coast attractions drew 6.7 million visitors. Coastal hotels, restaurants and events have seasonal peaks that can call for extra refrigeration and temporary kitchens. Source
• The Port of Mobile handles containerized, bulk, break bulk and roll-on/roll-off cargo and ranked 9th nationally by tonnage in 2014 with 64.3 million tons. Port and distribution activity supports cold chain and overflow storage demand. Source
• The Alabama Department of Public Health regulates retail food, manufactured food processing, dairy farms and plants, and oyster, seafood and blue crab processing, and samples Mobile Bay oyster harvest waters. The state has an active processing and seafood sector that relies on temperature-controlled storage. Source
• Chilton County produces over 80 percent of Alabama's peach crop, and the Chilton County Peach Festival in Clanton has run each June since 1952. Fruit harvests and festivals can require chilled storage and temporary food service. Source