The Coast Guard has now closed all Puerto Rico ports and St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands due to Tropical Storm Dorian.
San Juan Closed Until Further Notice
The U.S. Coast Guard has now set port condition ZULU for all of Puerto Rico and some in the U.S. Virgin Islands. This means that the popular San Juan cruise port is now closed to all outbound and inbound traffic including cruise ships.
This means sustained gale force winds are expected within 12 hours. ZULU was set by the Coast Guard at 1:00 AM on Wednesday.
This follows our previous post of condition X-Ray for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands which went into effect on Monday. That condition puts the ports in preparation mode and to warn larger ships to make alternative arrangements.
Do note, that the ports in Saint Thomas and Saint John in the USVI still remain open in X-Ray condition but this could change if needed.
Once the storm passes Puerto Rico and the region an assessment will be done of the ports to make sure they are in a good condition to reopen for marine traffic. Cruise ships should be able to return to the ports behind Tropical Storm Dorian as it approaches the Bahamas and Florida.
Tropical Storm Dorian Latest
Tropical Storm Dorian continues to change track and according to the National Hurricane Center (NOAA), it has maximum sustained winds of 60 MPH. Dorian is located 60 miles Southeast of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The storm is heading Northwest at 13 MPH.
Also Read: Tropical Storm Dorian Forces Royal Caribbean to Close Private Island
Dorian is expected to become a category 1 Hurricane by Friday morning and is set to impact the cruise industry further as it heads towards Florida.
