The majority of people who are providing media opinion on Puerto Rico recovery efforts really don’t have any understanding of the scale of the logistics involved when the impact zone is an island.

Hurricane Maria destroyed hundreds of vessels in and around the various PR ports making entry and exit into harbors a maze of submerged vessel and sunken debris avoidance. In addition, the ports’ infrastructure systems (power, utilities, docking equipment, pump stations, fuel depots, etc) were severely impacted, and in many ports 100% wiped out. Buoys, markers, harbor-lights, towers, all gone – completely destroyed.

Puerto Rico is an island, so bringing in relief supplies by cargo ship is the only way to deliver massive tonnage of supplies, heavy equipment and material needed to begin any restoration and recovery effort. Without ports those supplies cannot be offloaded. Especially think about fuel shipments. See the issue?

However, in a stunning feat of skill, ingenuity and determination the harbor entries have been mapped for navigable passage by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard while simultaneously the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have been working on the land-based side of the port infrastructure. [The major port of San Juan was opened Sept. 23rd.]

All of this is happening while the Dept. of Defense is leading FEMA efforts and providing U.S. marine units, fixed wing and helicopter, to deliver supplies to the hardest hit areas.

The U.S. Coast Guard has 13 cutters and 10 aircraft working on this mission and are working hand-in-hand with the U.S. Navy. Their ability to open these ports is a remarkable feat of logistics and speaks to the incredible coordination between the Dept. of Defense and FEMA.

https://www.dvidshub.net/video/embed/553727

SAN JUAN — The Coast Guard continues the hurricane response Monday in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands with 13 cutters and 10 aircraft.

Crews continue working to reopen affected ports and waterways to help the flow of humanitarian aid and resume maritime commerce. Reopening affected ports enables critical fuel supplies and commodities to flow into the port and be distributed throughout the affected regions. The Captain of the Port and his team will continue to work around the clock to get these port assessments completed and open as soon as it safe to do so.

Our personnel, aircraft and cutter fleet have mobilized from throughout the Atlantic Area, bringing with them port security presence, humanitarian aid to augment our Federal Emergency Management Agency and Puerto Rico Emergency Management Agency partners, as well as command and control capabilities while our shore based units in Puerto Rico continues to reconstitute their infrastructure,” said Rear Adm. Peter Brown, commander of Coast Guard’s District Seven. “Our newest National Security Cutter James along with our fast response cutter fleet, medium endurance cutters and seagoing buoy tenders mobilized quickly following Hurricane Maria to fulfill these missions and will continue to do so.”

Cutters responding are:

Coast Guard Cutter Cypress – Homeported in Pensacola, Fla.



Coast Guard Cutter Elm – Homeported in Atlantic Beach, N.C.



Coast Guard Cutter Diligence – Wilmington, N.C.



Coast Guard Cutter Donald Horsley – San Juan, Puerto Rico



Coast Guard Cutter Forward – Portsmouth, Va.



Coast Guard Cutter Heriberto Hernandez – San Juan, Puerto Rico



Coast Guard Cutter James – Charleston, S.C.



Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Napier – San Juan, Puerto Rico



Coast Guard Cutter Richard Dixon – San Juan, Puerto Rico



Coast Guard Cutter Venturous – St. Petersburg, Fla.



Coast Guard Cutter Valiant – Jacksonville, Fla.



Coast Guard Cutter Winslow Griesser – San Juan, Puerto Rico



Coast Guard Cutter Yellowfin – San Juan, Puerto Rico



Multiple fixed wing and rotor wing aircraft have responded from Air Station Miami, Air Station Clearwater, Fla, Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C, and Air Station Borinquin, Puerto Rico.

The following is a port condition update for the ports in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

♦Guayanilla, Puerto Rico – Open

Exception: Peerless Oil open w/ restrictions – Daylight transit only



♦Tallaboa, Puerto Rico – Open

♦Salinas, Puerto Rico – Open

♦San Juan Harbor, Puerto Rico – Open with restrictions

Daylight transit Only



♦Fajardo, Culebra, Vieques – Open with restrictions

Daylight transit only

♦Guayama, Puerto Rico – Open with restrictions

Tug/barge only

No deep draft vessels

No vessels greater than 500 gross tons

♦St. Thomas, East and West Gregrie Channels, U.S. Virgin Islands – Open with restrictions

Daylight transit only

VIPA-Homeport Pier Virgin Island Port Authority

VIP A- Sandfill

WAPA – News Station

Tropical Shipping

Crowley

♦Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas – Open with restrictions

Daylight transit only

♦Red Hook, St. Thomas – Open with restrictions

Daylight transit only

♦Cruz Bay, St. John – Open with restrictions

Daylight transit only

♦Limetree Bay, St. Croix – Open with restrictions

Daylight only

Draft less than 45ft

♦Krause Lagoon, St. Croix – Open with restrictions

Daylight only

Draft less than 45ft



♦Frederiksted, St. Croix – Open with restrictions

Daylight transit only

All other ports remain closed. Information can be found at the Coast Guard’s Homeport Web site.

Incredible job by U.S. Military.

Especially Navy and Coast Guard on this Phase.