Coast Guard continues hurricane response in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands

News Release

U.S. Coast Guard MIAMI Office: 305-415-6683 786-367-7649 U.S. Coast Guard  PUERTO RICO Office: 787-729-2381 787-510-7923 Press inquiries: MariaUSCGD7@gmail.com 786-254-6316

Coast Guard continues hurricane response in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands

Editor's note: click images for video and high-resolution

 

SAN JUAN -- The Coast Guard continues the hurricane response Monday in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands with 13 cutters and 10 aircraft.

Crews continue working to reopen affected ports and waterways to help the flow of humanitarian aid and resume maritime commerce. Reopening affected ports enables critical fuel supplies and commodities to flow into the port and be distributed throughout the affected regions. The Captain of the Port and his team will continue to work around the clock to get these port assessments completed and open as soon as it safe to do so.

"Our personnel, aircraft and cutter fleet have mobilized from throughout the Atlantic Area, bringing with them port security presence, humanitarian aid to augment our Federal Emergency Management Agency and Puerto Rico Emergency Management Agency partners, as well as command and control capabilities while our shore based units in Puerto Rico continues to reconstitute their infrastructure," said Rear Adm. Peter Brown, commander of Coast Guard's District Seven. "Our newest National Security Cutter James along with our fast response cutter fleet, medium endurance cutters and seagoing buoy tenders mobilized quickly following Hurricane Maria to fulfill these missions and will continue to do so."

Cutters responding are:

• Coast Guard Cutter Cypress - Homeported in Pensacola, Fla.
  
• Coast Guard Cutter Elm - Homeported in Atlantic Beach, N.C.
  
• Coast Guard Cutter Diligence - Wilmington, N.C.
  
• Coast Guard Cutter Donald Horsley - San Juan, Puerto Rico
  
• Coast Guard Cutter Forward - Portsmouth, Va.
  
• Coast Guard Cutter Heriberto Hernandez - San Juan, Puerto Rico
  
• Coast Guard Cutter James - Charleston, S.C.
  
• Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Napier - San Juan, Puerto Rico
  
• Coast Guard Cutter Richard Dixon - San Juan, Puerto Rico
  
• Coast Guard Cutter Venturous - St. Petersburg, Fla.
  
• Coast Guard Cutter Valiant - Jacksonville, Fla.
  
• Coast Guard Cutter Winslow Griesser - San Juan, Puerto Rico
  
• Coast Guard Cutter Yellowfin - San Juan, Puerto Rico
  

Multiple fixed wing and rotor wing aircraft have responded from Air Station Miami, Air Station Clearwater, Fla, Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C, and Air Station Borinquin, Puerto Rico.

The following is a port condition update for the ports in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Guayanilla, Puerto Rico - Open

• Exception: Peerless Oil open w/ restrictions - Daylight transit only
  

Tallaboa, Puerto Rico - Open

Salinas, Puerto Rico - Open

San Juan Harbor, Puerto Rico - Open with restrictions

• Daylight transit Only
  

Fajardo, Culebra, Vieques - Open with restrictions

• Daylight transit only

Guayama, Puerto Rico - Open with restrictions

• Tug/barge only
• No deep draft vessels
• No vessels greater than 500 gross tons

St. Thomas, East and West Gregrie Channels, U.S. Virgin Islands - Open with restrictions

• Daylight transit only
• VIPA-Homeport Pier Virgin Island Port Authority
• VIP A- Sandfill
• WAPA – News Station
• Tropical Shipping
• Crowley

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas - Open with restrictions

• Daylight transit only

Red Hook, St. Thomas - Open with restrictions

• Daylight transit only

Cruz Bay, St. John - Open with restrictions

• Daylight transit only

Limetree Bay, St. Croix - Open with restrictions

• Daylight only
• Draft less than 45ft

Krause Lagoon, St. Croix - Open with restrictions

• Daylight only
• Draft less than 45ft
  

Frederiksted, St. Croix - Open with restrictions

• Daylight transit only

All other ports remain closed. Information can be found at the Coast Guard’s Homeport Web site.

For information on Hurricane Maria progress and hurricane preparedness, please visit the National Hurricane Center's web page.

For more breaking news follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

 

-USCG-

IMPORTANT LINKS

Official U.S. Coast Guard Hurricane Maria Response News

Official U.S. Coast Guard Hurricane Maria video and imagery

FEMA Hurricane Maria resources