PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard reopened all ports from Philadelphia to North Carolina following Hurricane Sandy.
The Coast Guard captains of the ports for the ports of Delaware Bay, Baltimore, Hampton Roads and North Carolina are working closely with their respective port industry, NOAA, Army Corps of Engineers and state agencies to minimize risk as ports return to normalcy.
Mariners are advised to exercise extreme caution when transiting throughout the ports due to the possibility of shoaling and debris. Be aware, navigational aids may be off station and/or displaying improper characteristics and should be considered unreliable. Report all damaged or inoperable navigational aids to the appropriate Coast Guard captain of the port.
The Coast Guard is strongly advising recreational boaters and commercial traffic to carefully consider any voyage. If boaters must be on the rivers, they are urged to exercise extreme caution and transit the area at minimum safe speed and be prepared for extensive delays caused by floating debris and unreliable aids to navigation. Boaters are particularly encouraged to limit transit on the rivers to daylight hours and to be aware some marinas may not be fully operational due to significant power outages – plan your fuel supply accordingly. Even areas where vessel operators might normally find a suitable location to anchor may be unsafe due to accumulated debris, underwater obstacles and heavy currents due to flooding conditions.
