PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Port of Virginia has reopened to all vessel traffic after Tropical Storm Isaias left the region on Tuesday.
Captain Samson Stevens, Commander of Coast Guard Sector Virginia, ordered the Port of Virginia to close at 8 p.m. Monday. At the time he said it wasn't an easy decision – each day the port is closed means a loss of $250 million in economic activity.
A day later, Stevens allowed the port to return to the Seasonal Alert condition.
“The quick reopening of the Chesapeake Bay and Port of Virginia could not have happened without the extraordinary unity of effort of our port partners,” Stevens said in a news release. “We greatly appreciate all the women and men who were part of the team to verify the health of the maritime transportation system today and restart the region’s engine.”
Mariners are still advised to exercise caution when transiting restricted waters due to possible shoaling and aids-to-navigation possible being off station or unreliable.
