Katrina limiting activities at South Florida ports

Katrina limiting activities at South Florida ports    The U.S. Coast Guard has ordered commercial vessels out of South Florida ports as a precaution against a hurricane expected to hit the area late Thursday or early Friday.
   While vessels larger than 500 gross tons cannot be in the ports of Miami, Everglades, or Palm Beach, those ports have not shut down landside operations. The ports are technically open and are in the process of securing equipment, but no vessels are being worked Thursday. However, trucks can still move in and out of the ports.
   The Coast Guard advised shippers or their representatives to contact their cargo lines for information about schedule changes or adjustments.
   In general, the busiest time for vessel activities at the South Florida ports is on weekends from late Friday through Monday, and the storm is expected to pass through before that time. Weather forecasters said Tropical Storm Katrina has a good chance of becoming a hurricane — meaning winds in excess of 74 miles per hour — shortly before it reaches land late today.