The following is the text of a press release issued by the U.S. Coast Guard:
(MOBILE, Ala.) — The Captain of the Port of Mobile reopened the port of Pensacola, Fla., Tuesday.
The ports of Gulfport, Miss., and Pascagoula, Miss., remain closed to all traffic. The Port of Mobile is open to all traffic with a draft of 15 feet or less.
The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway has been opened from the Mississippi/Louisiana border at mile marker 40, to mile marker 432 at St. Marks, Fla.
Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Navy and industry resources are surveying critical waterways and working to return them to use. Critical aids to navigation at the entrances to the Mobile Ship Channel and the Pascagoula Ship Channel have been moved or are missing. High seas at these locations are preventing repairs. In addition, the Pascagoula Ship Channel is partially blocked by shoaling at its entrance.
As of Tuesday, about 3,200 Coast Guard members were involved in the response to Hurricane Gustav across the Gulf Coast. On Monday, the Coast Guard did not receive any calls for assistance and Coast Guard helicopter overflights of affected coastal areas did not locate anyone in immediate distress.
Coast Guard and state officials are surveying coastal areas impacted by Hurricane Gustav for potential oil or hazardous material spills, and Coast Guard units are prepared to respond if needed.
All cutters and rescue boats from the region were scheduled to return to their homeports by Wednesday.
