Gulf ports watching Irma shutdowns

NEW ORLEANS - This hurricane season is giving the maritime industry a lot of breathing room. Hurricane Harvey shuttered ports in Texas; and Irma is threatening to affect a number of others on the East Coast of Florida, and potentially all the way to New York. Louisiana ports are paying attention. All commercial vessels, including cruse and cargo ships, will depart the Miami-Dade County, Fla., port starting at noon Sept. 8, according to Miami Mayor Carlos Gimenez. The port will close at 8 a.m. on Sept. 9. NOLA maritime experts say the impact could stretch beyond Florida to as far north as Boston and New York, according to Gary LaGrange, executive director of the Ports Association of Louisiana. Harvey’s sidelining of Texas ports caused the Port of New Orleans to welcome cruise ships. Louisiana ports are watching to see if they will pick up slack from ports affected by Irma. The NOLA port’s market area is the 31 states making up mid-America. Mobile, Ala., and New Orleans ports could “benefit on a short-term basis,” said Robert Landry, VP/COO at the Port of New Orleans. (Source: WVUE 09/06/17)