Hurricane Irma: Ports Of Jacksonville, Fernandina Get Yankee Condition

JACKSONVILLE, FL —Ahead of Hurricane Irma's expected impact on the Florida coastline, the Coast Guard set the Port of Jacksonville and Fernandina — and all other terminals and facilities —to Yankee, meaning hurricane force winds are possible within 24 hours.

Vicious winds extending miles from Irma's eye are expected to lash Florida's southern coast Saturday before the storm makes landfall Sunday morning. Emergency management officials across Florida remained consistent with their warnings: Irma may have lost a little strength overnight but it remains a monstrous storm still expected to be as bad as Hurricane Andrew, possibly worse. This storm, with its 155 mph winds, increasingly looks like it will continue a path across the Florida keys to the southern mainland and north toward Georgia.

The Coast Guard set the port condition effective 8 a.m. Saturday. The Jacksonville and Fernandina ports and facilities are closed to all commercial traffic and transfer operations while the danger condition is in effect.(For more information on ports closings and other Jacksonville stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

#USCG sets Port Condition Yankee for the Port of Jacksonville and Fernandina for Hurricane #Irma. Read more here: https://t.co/82IJPmeLkE
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) September 9, 2017

"Sustained winds between 39 and 54 mph are possible within 24 hours. Mariners are reminded there are no safe havens in these facilities, and ports are safest when the inventory of vessels is at a minimum," the Coast Guard said in a release.

Ocean-going commercial vessels and barges greater than 500 gross tons should plan to leave the ports.

Those who want to keep ships in the ports must obtain permission from the captain of the port and submit a written safe mooring plan. Ships heading to the Port of Jacksonville or Fernandina that couldn't leave at least 24 hours before the expected arrival of the threatening winds should go elsewhere.

Personal boats should also look for safe harbor, officials said.

Most bridges will be locked down about eight hours before the expected arrival of sustained gale force winds and reopen once the severe weather passes.

Watch: Florida Governor, ‘Irma Now Impacting Our State'

Photo credit: JAXPORT via Flickr/Creative Commons