As southern Florida’s airports and sea ports return to usual operating procedure, facilities along the US Gulf area are bracing themselves for the onslaught of Tropical Storm Isaac.
Cargo operations have now been suspended in New Orleans, Gulfport, Pascagoula and Mobile, according to local media reports, and will remain closed until the storm passes.
The National Weather Service said the storm is expected to reach hurricane status when it hits shore late on Tuesday local time (28 August).
Ships ceased moving along the Mississippi River on Monday morning local time when the river was closed to deep-draft traffic, according to a report by the Journal of Commerce.
Container gates closed mid-afternoon on Monday, while breakbulk operations continued until 5pm, the report added.
At Gulfport – a banana and tropical port of entry – containers, machinery, other heavy equipment and ships have been evacuated, the Sun-Herald reported.
As a result of the preparations, a Dole ship brought forward its schedule by 24 hours in order to unload, load and head to sea before the port closure.
Activities in the south Florida area, meanwhile, were almost back to normal late Monday local time, following several days of heavy showers and strong winds, local media reported.
The Port of Miami is now open, according to an advisory notice on its website, as the storm moves away from the area and weather conditions improve.
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