Ports are assessing damage after Hurricane Helene roared into Florida as a Category 4 storm.
Helene made landfall Thursday night near Perry, a city of about 6,900 residents. The storm has since weakened and was moving over the South on Friday, bringing strong winds and rain.
Assessments were underway Friday at Florida’s ports, including Canaveral and Jacksonville.
The Port of Jacksonville conducted facility assessments and found no damage, said spokeswoman Chelsea Kavanagh. The U.S. Coast Guard was assessing the waterways for damage. Vessel traffic is closed in the meantime.
The Port of Fernandina sustained no extensive damage but remained closed Friday until cleared by the Coast Guard, said public affairs director Jeff Hymas.
Port Canaveral spokesman Steven Linden said the port reopened Friday with no restrictions.
Landside operations were open at Seaport Manatee, but the shipping lanes were closed, said spokeswoman Virginia Zimmermann.
Port Panama City was open Friday with no damage.
The Coast Guard reported that ports in Key West, St. Petersburg and Tampa in Florida were closed Friday. Ports in Mobile, Alabama, and Savannah and Brunswick in Georgia were open with restrictions Friday.
South Carolina ports were monitoring Helene. The empty yard at Inland Port Greer was closed Friday and crane operations were suspended due to winds, the port said in an announcement.
Helene should continue to weaken Friday as it moves inland, the National Hurricane Center said. Damaging winds will continue in Georgia and the Carolinas. Catastrophic and life-threatening floods and landslides are expected across southern Appalachia.
“Widespread, significant river flooding is likely, some of which will be major to record breaking,” the hurricane center said.
At least three people died in the storm, local reports said.
About 4 million customers across Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas were without power Friday.
Helene is the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which forecasters predicted would be above average.
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