B-Roll available for media
(October 1, 2022, Tampa, FL) U.S.-flagged maritime vessels arrived today at Port Tampa Bay following its reopening yesterday, carrying fuel cargo that will aid in Hurricane Ian recovery.
In the video at the link, Jones Act-compliant ships from Crowley Maritime and Kirby arrive in Port Tampa Bay today with fuel cargo.
More than 25 domestic maritime vessels are calling on Florida ports as they reopen following Hurricane Ian. These vessels are carrying over 220 million gallons of fuel critical to Hurricane Ian recovery.
In Florida, over 90% of Florida’s fuel arrives through four ports: Everglades, Canaveral, Jacksonville and Tampa. When a hurricane impacts the state, the domestic maritime industry works with partners at the state’s marine fuel terminals to ensure that shoreside facilities are at capacity before the storm. After the storm has passed, the industry stands ready to begin discharging additional fuel cargos as soon as ports and terminals reopen.
As Florida recovers from Hurricane Ian, media outlets, lawmakers and policymakers are encouraged to contact the Florida Maritime Partnership with questions about how the American maritime industry prepared for the storm and responded once the state’s ports reopened.
For decades, the American maritime industry has worked closely with local, state, and federal governments, shippers, suppliers, and emergency response teams so that reliable and consistent delivery of goods is achieved in times of need.
When a hurricane strikes, the American maritime industry:
- Works closely with government officials in emergency management to prepare and respond
- Prepositions critical supply vessels in safe positions offshore to respond strategically based on where the storm might make landfall and which communities might need immediate assistance
- Coordinates delivery of essential cargo needed in the immediate aftermath of a storm and works with relief organizations to efficiently and quickly deliver essential relief materials, such as batteries, fuel, water, and first aid materials
- Designates safe areas for equipment to ride out the storm
- Coordinates assistance with members of the U.S. military and merchant marine fleet
- Prepares maritime facilities and equipment to minimize potential storm damage
- Provides up-to-date information to members of the media, public, and potentially affected communities
About the Florida Maritime Partnership
The Florida Maritime Partnership (FMP) represents the state’s vibrant domestic maritime industry. Our diverse membership includes vessel owners and operators, shipboard and shoreside workers, shipbuilders and repair yards, equipment manufacturers and vendors, dredging and marine construction contractors, numerous maritime associations, and national security organizations that all recognize a strong domestic maritime industry is critical for America’s economic, national, and homeland security, and is best supported by maintaining the Jones Act as the foundation of America’s domestic maritime policy.
Modeled after the American Maritime Partnership (AMP), FMP promotes America’s maritime policy that any vessel transporting goods or passengers between two points in the United States or engaging in certain activities in U.S. waters must be U.S. owned, U.S. built, and U.S. crewed.
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