Fuel is once again flowing from SeaPort Manatee terminals to Southwest and Central Florida, addressing the needs of a region affected by Hurricane Milton’s Oct. 9 landfall.

“Thanks to cooperative efforts between Manatee County, state and federal authorities, and industry partners, fuel distribution activities have resumed at SeaPort Manatee as of this morning,” Kevin Van Ostenbridge, chairman of the Manatee County Port Authority, said Sunday [Oct. 13].

As power restoration commenced at Manatee County’s seaport, limited landside cargo operations resumed. Meanwhile, under U.S. Coast Guard direction, waterside operations restarted during daylight hours, with shipping channel activity restricted to a single direction.

“SeaPort Manatee is a critical gateway for supplying fuel stations throughout our region and beyond, with a flow of nearly 400 million gallons a year,” said Carlos Buqueras, SeaPort Manatee’s executive director. “It is particularly crucial that we have been able to see resumption of this fuel supply at a time when two hurricanes have hit our area in such a short period of time.”

Located “Where Tampa Bay Meets the Gulf of Mexico,” SeaPort Manatee is a dynamic global trade hub, serving as the vibrant ships-to-shelves gateway for burgeoning Southwest and Central Florida markets, with convenient rail and roadway links, including the distribution-center-filled Tampa/Orlando Interstate 4 corridor.

As the closest U.S. deepwater seaport to the expanded Panama Canal, SeaPort Manatee offers 10 deep-draft berths, efficiently meeting the diverse demands of container, liquid and dry bulk, breakbulk, heavy-lift, project, and general cargo customers. This self-sustaining port generates more than $5.1 billion in annual economic impact and supports over 37,000 direct and indirect jobs – all without relying on local property tax support.

Port Tampa Bay

Port Tampa Bay in Hillsborough County also announced the resumption of fuel distribution and the reopening of shipping channels on Oct. 12, following closures caused by Hurricane Milton.

"We want to express our sincere appreciation to those who helped our port prepare and recover from the impact of the storm. The port’s Operations, Security, Facilities and Engineering staff, maritime community, the U.S. Coast Guard, and our local law enforcement and emergency response agencies were critical to our ability to minimize the effects of the storm and help our port to return to operations as soon as safely possible," Port Tampa Bay said in a release.