Posted on October 14, 2024
TAMPA, Fla-The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hydrographic Survey Boat teams surveyed the Tampa Harbor and Gulf Intracoastal Waterway which assisted the Coast Guard with quickly restoring navigation channels in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton to facilitate the arrival of commercial fuel and shipping vessels in the Tampa Harbor.
Two boat teams from the Jacksonville District Survey Boats 52 and El Morro worked with the U.S. Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, waterway users, and port authorities following Gulf Coast Hurricane Protocol survey and scanned the waterways.
“I very much appreciate the close-knit relationship the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has with both the U.S. Coast Guard and the NOAA,” said Col. Brandon Bowman, Jacksonville District Commander. “This enables our federal agencies to quickly respond, survey and reopen vital Federal channels for navigation to aid in delivering supplies and minimize impact to the shipping industry.”
Bowman said there has been seamless cooperation between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Coast Guard, and the Tampa Port Authorities and their contractors to quickly and efficiently survey the port channels to help get the ports reopened.
“We are extremely proud of our team for their quick response and work,” said Col. Brandon Bowman, Jacksonville District Commander.
Survey crews at the Jacksonville Office prepared vessels days before the storm hit for the quickest response possible.
Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on the Gulf coast of Florida and re-strengthened in the Atlantic Ocean after crossing the peninsula. The extent of damage to impacted areas is still being assessed by federal, state and local emergency responders.
“One of our main concerns was looking out for navigation buoys, markers, debris and hazards,” said Greg Keener, Small Craft Operator, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District.
Coast Guard liaison, Chief Warrant Officer Joe Holt, a Boatswain was onboard the SB-52 with the survey team and said storms of this magnitude can down pilings, markers and buoys place them offstation which are vital navigation aids for pilots in the harbor.
“These surveys are critical to show how close those buoys are and that presents restrictions on what size vessel can come through the harbor,” said Holt.
The Coast Guard reminds mariners and residents of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina to remain vigilant following Hurricane Milton.
Through extensive pre-planning and coordinated efforts by NOAA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the Florida Department of Transportation, numerous port partners and Coast Guard crews ahead of the storm, the following commercial ports were assessed and safely reopened:
In Florida: Key West, Port Everglades, Port Miami and the Miami River
In Georgia: Brunswick, Savannah
In South Carolina: Charleston, Georgetown
Partnership efforts continue in support the State of Florida and our mutual priorities regarding the assessment and reconstitution of operations in the seaports which are critical to post-hurricane Milton recovery.
The Captain of the Port for Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg reopened Port Tampa and Seaport Manatee with the following restrictions (contingent upon facility operational capabilities):
Vessel movements requiring federal pilotage are prohibited, including U.S. vessels over 1,600 gross tons and U.S. petroleum barges over 10,000 gross tons;
Vessel movements are restricted to daylight hours only with minimum visibility of 3 nautical miles; No restrictions for intra-port vessel movements (e.g. berth shifts).
The following ports remain closed pending ongoing evaluations and surveys:
In Florida: St. Petersburg, Fort Myers, Port of Palm Beach, Fort Pierce, Port Canaveral, Jacksonville, and Fernandina.
Updated port condition changes by the Captain of the Port will be available on the Homeport website and announced on official unit social media pages throughout the Seventh Coast Guard District. Check below for links to your local Coast Guard Sector page:
U.S. Coast Guard Sector Charleston
U.S. Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville
U.S. Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg
U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Savannah
U.S. Coast Guard Sector Key West
U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Juan
The Coast Guard offers the following safety tips to those in affected areas:
Listen to the warnings and guidance from local, county, state and federal emergency management officials before returning to evacuation areas.
Stay off the water and out of the way of rescue crews unless you are playing a critical role in the response. This is not a time for disaster sightseeing. The Coast Guard and other responders are actively engaged in restoring our waterways and maritime infrastructure. You can help by steering clear.
Buoys, day boards, and other aids to navigation may be off station if shifted by the hurricane. Water depths may be shallower than charted due to shifting sands and shoals. If you encounter an off-station buoy or navigational marker, report it to the Coast Guard on VHF Channel 16.
Do not operate unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) around working crews or in areas with low-flying aircraft (helicopters).
Turn around, don’t drown. Do not intentionally drive your vehicle into flooded or washed-out areas. You may underestimate the depth and become stuck or damage your vehicle. The flood waters resulting from heavy rainfall and high storm surge may not have fully receded.
Beware of construction materials like wood, nails, glass, and concrete that may be encountered in areas where flood waters receded, on beaches and in canals. Report hazards to local emergency management, lifeguards or beach patrol.
Beware of rip currents. Hurricanes and tropical storms can cause rip currents and increase dangers along the beach, even for storms that are far away. Follow local lifeguard advisories and check local marine forecasts.
Reporting a hazardous substance release or oil spill takes only a few minutes. If you encounter chemicals or oil pollutants in the waterways, contact the federal government’s centralized reporting center, the National Response Center (NRC), at 1-800-424-8802.
The Port of Tampa is the largest and most diverse port in Florida, serving the 10th largest economy (Tampa Bay/Orlando I-4 corridor), which is now the 3rd largest state in the U.S. Port Tampa Bay is Florida’s largest port in cargo tonnage and land area. It serves as a major cruise port and services a diverse mix of bulk, break-bulk, container commodities, and energy products that serve central Florida. The port contributes over $17 billion in economic impact, supporting over 85,000 jobs. The Tampa Harbor Federal Navigation Channel was last deepened in 1970.
If reporting directly to the NRC is not possible, reports also can be made to the EPA Regional office or the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office in the area where the incident occurred. In general, EPA should be contacted if the incident involves a release to inland areas or inland waters. The Coast Guard should be contacted for releases to coastal waters, ports and harbors. The EPA or the Coast Guard will relay release and spill reports to the NRC promptly.
To report distress or emergencies, please dial 911 or call the Coast Guard on VHF marine radio Channel 16. Social media accounts are not tied to command centers or monitored 24/7 and should never be used to report life-threatening distress or law enforcement emergencies.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers supports ports after hurricanes in a number of ways, including:
USACE provides engineering support to help restore ports. For example, during Hurricane Ian, the Jacksonville District navigation staff surveyed channels, modified dredging contracts, and implemented emergency contracts to restore ports.
USACE sends survey crews and vessels to ports to provide immediate harbor surveys after a storm. These surveys are used to determine channel conditions and ensure a quick return to normal port traffic.
USACE is the primary federal agency for engineering-related emergency support and public works. They respond to disasters by mobilizing teams and resources from across the country to assist local districts and offices. USACE also works to reduce the risk of coastal storms by building climate resilient infrastructure.
For more news, updates and information visit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District district’s website at www.saj.usace.army.mil, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Jacksonvilledistrict, and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/JaxStrong.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hydrographic Survey Boat -52 from the Jacksonville District escorts the Golden State into the Tampa Harbor. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hydrographic Survey Boat teams surveyed the Tampa Harbor and Gulf Intracoastal Waterway which assisted the Coast Guard with quickly restoring navigation channels in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton to facilitate the arrival of commercial fuel and shipping vessels in the Tampa Harbor. Two boat teams from the Jacksonville District Survey Boats 52 and El Morro worked with the U.S. Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, waterway users, and port authorities following Gulf Coast Hurricane Protocol survey and scanned the waterways.
The Golden State ship was the first ship into the Tampa Harbor for un-fueling. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hydrographic Survey Boat teams from the Jacksonville District escorted the Golden State into the Tampa Harbor. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hydrographic Survey Boat teams surveyed the Tampa Harbor and Gulf Intracoastal Waterway which assisted the Coast Guard with quickly restoring navigation channels in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton to facilitate the arrival of commercial fuel and shipping vessels in the Tampa Harbor.
James Allison, a geodesist, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District collects data. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hydrographic Survey Boat teams from the Jacksonville District escorts the Golden State into the Tampa Harbor. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hydrographic Survey Boat teams surveyed the Tampa Harbor and Gulf Intracoastal Waterway which assisted the Coast Guard with quickly restoring navigation channels in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton to facilitate the arrival of commercial fuel and shipping vessels in the Tampa Harbor.
