U.S. Southeast ports hunker down for Hurricane Irma

As of 11:00 a.m. eastern standard time, Hurricane Irma was 270 miles east of Caibarien, Cuba with maximum sustained winds of 150 miles per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center.    U.S. Southeast ports are bracing for Hurricane Irma as the mega-storm moves through the Caribbean, gradually making its way closer to the southern tip of Florida.
   As of 11:00 a.m. eastern standard time, Hurricane Irma was 270 miles east of Caibarien, Cuba, moving WNW at 14 miles per hour with maximum sustained winds of 150 miles per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center. Irma’s center is expected to reach South Florida around 8:00 a.m. Sunday morning.
   Although the storm has been downgraded to a category 4 hurricane, it is still projected to cause significant damage in Florida, and possibly into Georgia and the Carolinas as well.
   At PortMiami, Miami River, Port Everglades, Port of Palm Beach, Port of Fort Pierce – and all other terminals and facilities within Sector Miami’s area of responsibility – port condition “Yankee” was set in place on Friday at 8:00 a.m., the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) said. Port condition Yankee means gale force winds are expected within 24 hours.
   At the affected ports mentioned above:
     • Inbound vessel traffic is prohibited;
     • Oceangoing commercial vessels greater than 500 gross tons must depart the ports and anchorages unless they received permission to stay from the captain of the port (COTP);
     • Moving cargo onto the port or any vessel loading/discharging operations are not authorized unless cleared by the COTP;
     • And terminal operators must cease all cargo operations not associated with storm preparations.
   Drawbridges in the area will be entering a full lockdown by 8:00 p.m. Friday, the USCG said.
   “Given the current storm track, the USCG Captain of the Port projects setting port condition Zulu at 8:00 p.m., Saturday, Sept.  9. 2017,” Port Everglades said.
   Up the east coast at Port Canaveral, port condition Yankee was set in place on Friday at 6:00 a.m., the USCG said.
   “As of 3:00 p.m. today, Port Canaveral will cease all operations and is closed until further notice,” the port said Friday.
   Further up the coast at the ports of Jacksonville and Fernandina, port condition X-Ray was put in place at 6:00 p.m. Thursday, the USCG said, meaning gale force winds can be expected within 48 hours.
   The Port of Jacksonville said all of its terminals will close at 11:59 p.m. on Friday.
   Meanwhile, on the west coast of Florida, the USCG issued port condition X-Ray for Tampa, St. Petersburg and Manatee ports, effective 8:00 p.m. Thursday.
   In Georgia, operations at the ports of Savannah and Brunswick will cease operations from Saturday through Tuesday, the Georgia Ports Authority said Thursday. At 12:00 p.m. on Friday, the USCG set port condition X-ray for the ports of Savannah and Brunswick.
   The South Carolina Ports Authority said Friday afternoon that all of its facilities will remain open until further notice.