Coast Guard reopens Port of New Orleans

The Coast Guard captain of the port for Sector New Orleans cancelled port condition Zulu and set port conditions Sunday at 6 a.m., allowing vessel movement into and out of the Mississippi River and the Port of New Orleans with some restrictions.

The Coast Guard Area Command for Tropical Storm/Hurricane Barry also suspended operations of the Joint Information Center Sunday as response operations scaled down along the Gulf Coast region.

The Coast Guard Eighth District External Affairs office will assume responsibility as the main point of contact for information and news related to Coast Guard response efforts for Tropical Storm/Hurricane Barry.

Specific information about Port of New Orleans restrictions can be viewed on the Coast Guard homeport webpage, https://homeport.uscg.mil/my-homeport/safety-Notifications/MSIB?cotpid=39.

The port said that the Port NOLA administration building, marine terminals as well as New Orleans Public Belt Railroad operations were all business as usual on Monday, July 15. As of Sunday morning, July 14, the Coast Guard Captain of the Port opened the Lower Mississippi River to all vessel traffic with some restrictions. All flood gates along the Mississippi River have been opened. The Inner Harbor Navigational Canal (IHNC) Lock was also reopened, and IHNC floodgates are expected to be opened today, as conditions allow, with rail and roadway gates being prioritized.

Early preparation and communication between federal, state, local, and industry partners helped minimize the potential for damage in the New Orleans Captain of the Port zone.

“Even while the storm was still approaching landfall, we were making preparations to reopen our ports and restore critical infrastructure and marine transportation systems as quickly as possible after it passed,” said Capt. Kristi Luttrell, Sector New Orleans commander. “Along with safety of the public and first responders, restoration of maritime commerce was one of our top priorities.”