Florida ports up and operating

Florida ports up and operating    With Tropical Storm Ernesto moving up the Atlantic Coast, Florida’s primary commercial ports were all up and operating late Wednesday.
   The U.S. Coast Guard decided Wednesday afternoon to keep the Port of Jacksonville open, after earlier scheduling a 6 p.m. shutdown to establish a “safety zone” around the port. The Coast Guard Captain of the Port said the decision was based on the strength and projected path of the storm.
   Meanwhile, the ports of Miami, Port Everglades and Palm Beach were opened Wednesday afternoon after the Coast Guard completed safety assessments.
   Ocean carriers at all three ports said their operations were up and back to normal by Wednesday afternoon.
   The Coast Guard did not shut down any of Florida’s Gulf Coast ports for the storm.