Shipping returns to normal at Florida ports
Updated 5:04 p.m. ET, Fri Oct 28, 2005
By Rick Eyerdam
The JOURNAL of COMMERCE ONLINE


MIAMI — The U.S. Coast Guard said normal ship traffic has resumed at the Port of Miami and Port Everglades after Hurricane Wilma swept through the region this week.
Port Everglades, however, is limiting landside access - and restricting it outright after dark - because power has not been fully restored.
The ports suffered minimal damage from the Category 3 storm that struck Monday morning, the Coast Guard said.
Miami-Dade County officials said power has been restored to the Port of Miami, and the port's cranes were undamaged. The Royal Caribbean Cruise building had some damage, and many signs and trees were down but the cruise terminals have debarked five ships delayed by storm damage.
The Coast Guard, which has the final word in opening the ports, said all other East Coast ports Fort Pierce have been cleared for normal operations.
Neither the Port of Tampa nor Port Manatee on Florida's west coast suffered significant damage and they remain operational.
Port Canaveral, which was available only for daylight operations in the first days after Wilma, now is fully operational.