Several Flordia ports have raised conditions as Hurricane Dorian approaches.
The US Coast Guard said Wednesday afternoon that Port Canaveral and the ports of Tampa, St. Petersburg and Manatee are in condition Whiskey, meaning the ports will stay open, but ships must report whether they are staying or going.
Whiskey is the lowest of the Coast Guard's four port conditions and anticipated gale force winds to hit the area within the next 72 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. "All ocean-going commercial vessels and ocean-going barges greater than 500 gross tons should make plans for departing the port."
Dorian was upgraded from a tropical storm to a hurricane by the National Hurricane Center Wednesday afternoon. It is expected to make landfall in Florida early Monday morning.
