The United States Coast Guard announced the reopening of several ports in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
In particular, Florida’s Key West, Port Everglades, Port Miami and Miami River, Georgia’s Savannah and Brunswick and South Carolina’s Charleston and Georgetown have restarted operations.
Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on the Gulf coast of Florida and restrengthened in the Atlantic Ocean after crossing the peninsula. According to the US Coast Guard, the extent of damage to impacted areas is still being assessed by federal, state and local emergency responders.
“Partnership efforts continue in support the State of Florida and our mutual priorities regarding the assessment and reconstitution of operations in the seaports which are critical to post-hurricane Milton recovery,” stated the Coast Guard.
Additionally, the Captain of the Port for Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg reopened Port Tampa and Seaport Manatee with the following restrictions (contingent upon facility operational capabilities):
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Vessel movements requiring federal pilotage are prohibited, including US vessels over 1,600 gross tons and US petroleum barges over 10,000 gross tons;
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Vessel movements are restricted to daylight hours only with minimum visibility of 3 nm; No restrictions for intra-port vessel movements (e.g. berth shifts).
Meanwhile, Florida’s ports of St. Petersburg, Fort Myers, Palm Beach, Fort Pierce, Canaveral, Jacksonville, and Fernandina remain closed pending ongoing evaluations and surveys.
