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Miami, Fort Lauderdale Ports to Close for Ernesto NewsMax.com Wires NEW YORK -- The Florida ports of Miami and Fort Lauderdale were set to shut to all inbound vessel traffic on Monday evening due to Tropical Storm Ernesto, a U.S. Coast Guard official said. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Monday Ernesto was likely to miss the Gulf of Mexico and strike the Florida peninsula before passing into the Atlantic later this week. "We're preparing to shut down Miami and Fort Lauderdale ports sometime this evening, within two hours," the U.S. Coast Guard official said. As part of the protocol, the ports have to be shut 24 hours before the arrival of hurricane winds, the official said. "All incoming vessel traffic will be halted, except for essential cargoes, such as oil tankers," he said. However, the oil tankers would be allowed into the ports on a case-by-case basis, he added. Oil tankers would have to stay out at sea if the ports have enough oil in storage, he said. Story Continues Below
Some oil traders in the Northeast said there were no gasoline tankers heading to Miami and Fort Lauderdale at this time "It (the storm) will not have a major impact on the gasoline market," a gasoline trader said. "There may be some tankers heading for Port Everglades and Tampa, but nothing for Miami." Another trader said there might be some tankers delivering fuel oil to Miami for power generation. On the West coast of Florida, the ports remained open to all commercial traffic, but a shipping advisory to recreational boat users was issued on Monday, a second U.S. Coast Guard official said. "All recreational boaters have been advised to stay out of the water and stay clear of the beaches and low-lying areas," she said.
(c) Reuters 2006. All rights reserved.
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