A category 1 hurricane, Storm Debby, has rapidly moved towards Florida as nearby ports monitor the situation.
Hurricane-force winds are close to landfall as the storm approaches the Big Bend in the US, according to the National Hurricane Center.
JAXPORT has reported that it continues to closely monitor Tropical Storm Debby. The port remains open with no restrictions as, under the storm’s current track, the port anticipates all landside and ship-to-shore cargo operations to continue as usual throughout the duration of this weather event.
The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) has also given an update on the situation, reporting that it is still planning for a normal start on 5 August as the port continues to monitor the storm track.
An early shutdown of port operations will be determined by 5 August as it aims to determine the storm forecast.
At approximately 5:00 am Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), the storm was located roughly 45 miles west-northwest of Cedar Key, according to The Independent, pushing north at 12 miles per hour (mph). It had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph.
In recent events, Hurricane Beryl on the Texas coast near Houston forced some of the largest ports in Texas to close operations leading to a surge in vessel traffic.