FLORIDA - Several ports have temporarily suspended their operations as Hurricane Milton prepares to make landfall in the state of Florida.

According to Port Technology International, port closures have been initiated in Tampa and Sarasota in preparation for the storm. In addition, terminals in South Carolina—including the Port of Charleston—have implemented navigation limitations ahead of the hurricane.

The source also noted that Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) issued a port status ZULU, indicating the risk of gale force gusts within 12 hours as Hurricane Milton approaches. The port announced it will be closed on October 10, with inbound cargo flow to its major gates ceasing at 10 a.m. this morning. The port intends to reopen its main gates in the morning of October 11, subject to the satisfactory completion of facilities evaluations.

As it closes in on Florida’s coast, Hurricane Milton has strengthened into a Category 4 storm. The storm is expected to make landfall as “an extremely dangerous major hurricane” tonight or early Thursday, according to predictions from the National Hurricane Center.

The Washington Post reported that Milton has maximum sustained winds of nearly 155 mph with stronger gusts, posing a threat across the Tampa, Sarasota, and Fort Myers regions. The storm is also bringing what the National Hurricane Center referred to as “damaging hurricane-force winds,” with coastal communities facing the potential of a “life-threatening storm surge.”

ANUK will continue monitoring this storm’s impact on the state of Florida and its ports, and our thoughts are with those who may face the impacts of Hurricane Milton.