Hurricane Idalia has forced the Port of Savannah in Georgia to close, as officials seek to avoid damage.
With the arrival of major Hurricane Idalia making landfall on the Gulf Coast side of Florida early this morning, the Port of Savannah has taken emergency precautions by closing today until tomorrow. No vessel operations will take place until at least tomorrow morning.
If all goes to plan, the Port of Savannah will reopen for normal operations tomorrow, August 31st.
In addition to the Port of Savannah, other major ports that closed for the storm included the Port of Jacksonville in Florida, Port Canaveral in Florida, and the Port of Charleston in South Carolina. None are accepting inbound vessels at this time.
Hurricane Idalia is one of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit Florida’s Gulf Coast, with its landfall being at Category 3 strength – a “major hurricane.” Protecting critical infrastructure is always paramount for these storms, and Idalia was no exception. Ports and associated vessels can sustain heavy damage if precautions are not taken.
We saw damage to ports in Florida and the surrounding region in previous major storms. Most recently, Hurricane Harvey in August 2017 caused major disruptions to Gulf Coast ports in Florida, Texas, and Louisiana. Last year, Hurricane Ian also damaged some infrastructure on Florida’s Gulf Coast, too.
Hurricane Idalia will weaken as it crosses Florida and hopefully will avoid a direct hit on the Port of Savannah.
However, as with any storm, it is better to be safe than sorry. Be safe out there!
