Port Canaveral's Navigation Restrictions Lifted

On Thursday, the the U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP) removed restrictions on Port Canaveral’s water-side operations, and the port’s vessel traffic can fully resume. Its neighbors – Jaxport, Port Tampa Bay, Port Everglades and PortMiami – have also reopened. 

For its onshore operations, Port Canaveral will still have to contend with a degraded municipal water supply before it can regain full operational capability. The City of Cocoa’s water system failed during the storm, with effects on the Port's firefighting capability, the availability of safe drinking water and the functioning of sanitation facilities.

Port Canaveral says that it prepared carefully for Hurricane Irma, and initial reports indicate mostly cosmetic damage to port facilities and structures. At the port's popular Jetty Park, the fishing pier and beach sustained significant storm damage and have been closed to the public pending repairs. 

Business owners and operators in Port Canaveral have returned to their facilities to continue with their recovery and clean up operations, and some restaurants in the Port's Cove District have reopened for business. However, other commercial operations at Port Canaveral will be hampered until the City of Cocoa can provide a safe, assured supply of clean water. The port says that Canaveral Fire and Rescue will maintain its fire suppression capabilities on a stand-by basis using water tankers and pumps.