The port was reopened about 6 a.m. and vessels were once again allowed into and out of the Mississippi River and the port, according to a press release from the Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard formally closed the Mississippi to all traffic from the river's mouth as far up as Angola on Friday as Barry approached as a tropical storm. Over the previous days, the pilots who steer ships on the river had stopped bringing vessels into or out of the mouth of the river and the port had stopped loading operations in anticipation of the storm.
"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, the Coast Guard's Sector New Orleans commander. "Along with safety of the public and first responders, restoration of maritime commerce was one of our top priorities."
———
©2019 NOLA Media Group, New Orleans
Visit NOLA Media Group, New Orleans at www.nola.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.