Tanker traffic resumed into the Port of Tampa, with the arrival Friday of the 600’x105’ Golden State, escorted by an Army Corps of Engineers survey boat. By Sunday Florida state and port officials said 50 million gals. of fuel were inbound on Jones Act vessels.
Florida state Highway Patrol units were escorting tanker trucks to resupply depleted gas stations hit by hurricane Milton’s passage across the state, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Sunday.
Three interim public filling stations were opened in the Tampa Bay area, with free fuel up to 10 gals. allotted per person. With some 375,000 residents still without electric power, many toted small gas containers to refill home generators.
“Commercial vessel traffic is again being queued for a return to full operations at the port, meaning we are open for business,” Port Tampa Bay officials said in a statement Saturday morning. “Some of the first vessels to return will be fuel tankers, cruise ships and vessels carrying perishable cargo.”
Power was restored to all seven private fuel terminals at Tampa by Saturday, and most terminal operators began discharging to fuel trucks for delivery to gas stations.
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