Amid the fallout from Hurricane Milton , Florida’s SeaPort Manatee will receive state emergency funding to aid in its recovery and help repair damaged infrastructure. The hurricane spawned a tornado outbreak in some areas of Florida’s west coast before making landfall Oct. 9 as a Category 3 storm, resulting in roughly $50 billion in damages as well as 25 deaths.
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Monday’s emergency funding announcement from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at the port came as fuel, food and other key goods began flowing from the hub to consumers throughout the southwest and central parts of the state.
“We’re here to ensure—not just with the fuel, but for all the things that Port Manatee delivers—as minimal interruption to the supply chain as possible,” DeSantis said during a press conference. “When you have major damage, there just is going to be some interruption.”
Initial damage assessments from Milton cost an estimated $225 million at SeaPort Manatee, which is located in Manatee County, Fla., roughly 35 miles south of Tampa. Damage to the port includes the loss of 10 out of 13 on-site warehouses, three of the 10 port-owned docking facilities, and widespread damage to port offices and security installation. While many of the port’s losses are insured, some components are not.
SeaPort Manatee is the primary deepwater seaport in southwest Florida, receiving fuel, fruits and vegetables, appliances, construction materials and wood for distribution across the southwest Florida and the Southeast. It is the closest U.S. deepwater seaport to the Panama Canal .
The port’s deep-draft berths can handle demands of container, liquid and dry bulk, breakbulk, heavy-lift project and general cargo customers. The port generates nearly $7.3 billion in annual economic impacts while providing for more than 42,000 direct and indirect jobs.
“This action to get SeaPort Manatee back to full operations will benefit the people of Florida, ensure the hardening of our infrastructure for future disasters, and ensure normal life is resumed for Floridians as soon as possible,” said Gov. DeSantis in a statement. “Taking action to address these impacts now is imperative to keep Florida on the road to recovery.”
This investment will include $5.5 million for emergency berth repairs and dredging in state waters; $3.5 million for immediate security needs and access control; and $500,000 to support planning activities for fortifying port infrastructure.
Gov. DeSantis also directed several state agencies to step in and assist the port to expedite recovery efforts.
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SeaPort Manatee’s executive director, Carlos Buqueras, said in a statement that the port is operating in an “almost normal” manner, and that the additional funding would “make all the difference” in returning to full operations.
The announcement came two days after Port Tampa Bay and its shipping channels were reopened, which occurred once power at the gateway resumed. That Saturday, several of the port’s fuel terminals were able to reopen, with the vessel movement restricted to daylight hours and one-way traffic. According to a report from the Tampa Bay Business Journal, ship movements are limited to the daytime because of the damage to the buoys and navigation markers.
Fuel tankers, cruise ships and vessels carrying perishable cargo were the first ships to return to the hub.
The port is a major cog in supply chain operations not just in the state, but in the southeastern U.S. Fuel supplies for much of Florida, especially central Florida, arrive from Texas and Louisiana through Port Tampa Bay.
Forty percent of fuel entering Florida comes through the port. More than 17 million tons of petroleum- and natural gas-related products move through Tampa Bay in a typical year, according to the Energy Information Administration.
The Tampa Bay Business Journal report said Port Tampa Bay has since filled thousands of fuel trucks through Tuesday. Between Saturday and Sunday, the port moved approximately 2,500 fuel trucks that came in and left Tampa Bay.
With fuel movement in recovery, Florida’s supply chain would get a major pick-me-up, particularly as relief efforts across the state continue.
As of Monday, GasBuddy’s Fuel Availability Tracker said 17.5 percent of stations across were without fuel, much improved from the nearly 30 percent that had no fuel three days earlier. Nearly 50 percent of gas stations in Tampa remained without gas, an improvement from the 77.5 percent on Oct. 11.
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