Sugar plant took 98 days to resume operation

-- Packaging Digest, 5/1/2007

On Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Domino Sugar Chalmette Refinery with winds of up to 135 mph. The following is a timeline of the American Sugar Refining plant's remarkable recovery:

• Sept. 16: The first response recover team was onsite.
• Sept. 19: All 326 employees are accounted for.
• Sept. 28: Diesel-generator electrical power is restored.
• Oct. 12: The last trailers arrive.
• Oct. 27: Service water power is restored.
• Nov. 3: Boilers are back online, generating steam.
• Nov. 14: Employees are able to go back to work.
• Dec. 5: Refining operations resume.
• Dec. 9: The first post-Katrina railcar of product is loaded and shipped.