Galveston, TX (August 28, 2020) – The Port of Galveston remains open for business, providing maritime-related jobs and economic benefits for the region following Hurricane Laura.
“We have an exceptional emergency response team that worked diligently with the U.S. Coast Guard to assure the safety of the port’s property and its people. We were ready to resume operations immediately following the Captain of the Port declaring it safe to do so. All port business activities are running normal at this time,” said CEO and Port Director Rodger Rees.
Currently, all terminals are open and fully operational with several ships scheduled to call at the port this weekend including a grain and wind ship. Additionally, four lay ships are also scheduled to berth at the port for short-term services, such as supplies and inspections.
The port ceased all operations on Tuesday afternoon following the Captain of the Port (COTP) setting port condition Yankee due to heavy weather conditions from Hurricane Laura that were expected to impact the immediate area. The port remained fully closed on Wednesday and reopened partially at noon on Thursday to allow tenants and users to inspect their facilities. Friday morning the port was open for business as usual.
Friday morning also brought about an additional operation for the port team- lending a helping hand to our neighbors affected by Hurricane Laura’s landfall. The port joined the Lighthouse Family Church relief effort by collecting donations of items such as water, food, clothing, toiletries and other essential items.
If you would to participate, please drop off donations this weekend at 7402 Stewart Road in Galveston.
The humanitarian relief will be loaded onto the Lighthouse Family Church truck beginning tomorrow afternoon and transported to Lake Charles, LA at approximately 2:00PM on Sunday, August 30. Volunteers needed to sort, package, and load items. If you would like to assist, please contact Raymond Galloway at 409-457-5198 or Pastor Ernesto Gomez at 505-350-9085.
“While we fared relatively well during this storm, our thoughts and prayers are with our Louisiana neighbors who are dealing with the devastation left by Hurricane Laura,” said Rees.
About Galveston Wharves at Port of Galveston
Perfectly situated at the entrance to Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel, Galveston Wharves has been a thriving maritime commercial center since 1825. Just 30 minutes from open seas, the 720-acre port has infrastructure and assets to serve growing cruise, cargo and commercial businesses. As the fourth busiest U.S. cruise port, it welcomed over 1 million cruise passengers in 2019. Also one of the busiest in Texas, the port moved 4 million tons of cargo in 2019 and has an estimated annual state economic impact of $2.1 billion.
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