Port of Key West closes due to Hurricane Milton, local businesses feel impact

MIAMI - With the Port of Key West closed ahead of Hurricane Milton , the usually bustling streets of Duval Street have fallen quiet.

Cruise ships, a major source of the island's tourism, are bypassing the port, leaving local businesses struggling to cope with the sudden drop in visitors.

Jinny Schroeder, a pedi cab driver, describes the stillness that has settled over the area. "Even right now on the sidewalk, there's few of us. It's quiet," she said.

The back-to-back storms, including Hurricane Helene and now Milton, have already slowed down business and the port closure has only made things worse.

Or Ravina Diaz, who works at Paradise Found, said the lack of tourists is taking its toll.

"It's actually really bad," she said. "It's not just the cruise ships, it's all the tourists that would come here. They cancel or do an early flight."

Inside her shop, the scene is bleak. "There's nobody in the street, no customers. It's really tough. It was a really tough day today," Diaz added, noting that the outlook for the coming days isn't promising either.

"We're actually closing tomorrow because there's no people," she said.

The next cruise ship isn't scheduled to arrive until Saturday, leaving many business owners wondering when relief will come.