Adds comments from Florida governor, information on fuel supplies.
Port Tampa Bay, Florida, docks did not sustain significant damage from Hurricane Milton, the port authority said early today, a positive sign for resuming fuel imports into the storm ravaged state.
Some port buildings were damaged and power remains out, according to preliminary assessments, but the port docks appear to have escaped major damage, according to the port authority. Many roads leading to the port remain flooded, but the port's main gates are accessible.
Florida governor Ron DeSantis said Thursday that Port Tampa avoided the worst-case scenario in terms of storm surge and that eastern Florida ports on the opposite side of the state from where Milton made landfall appear largely undamaged.
The state has 1.5mn USG of diesel and about 1.1mn USG of gasoline available to deploy in its emergency response, DeSantis said. Florida's highway patrol continues to escort fuel tankers making deliveries to gas stations and has completed about 130 escorts after some stations ran dry earlier this week as Floridians stocked up on fuel and evacuated coastal regions.
DeSantis said today he expects gas stations to reopen "very quickly, at least that's our hope."
Port Tampa Bay officials are working with the US Army Corps of Engineers, US Coast Guard and others to assess landside and seaside operations. There is no currrent timeline for the port's re-opening.
More than 3mn Floridians are without power today after Hurricane Milton came ashore south of Tampa Bay late last night as a category 3 storm. Utility crews are assessing the damage from high winds, tornadoes and flooding, and starting to restore power.
Nearly half of Florida's supply of petroleum and refined products passes through Port Tampa Bay, the majority via waterborne cargo from the US Gulf coast. Tampa Bay is also the site of major fertilizer operations, including Mosaic's Riverview phosphate plant.
Chevron's Tampa refined products terminal remains closed and damage assessments will begin once crews can safely access the facility, a company spokesperson said just after 11am ET today. The company's terminals in Panama City and Port Everglades are operational.
Fuel terminal operators at Port Tampa Bay such as Citgo, Kinder Morgan, Global Partners and Buckeye Partners told Argus they are currently evaluating their facilities to determine when they can resume operations. Individual port tenants will decide independently when to restart their own activities.
