Aug 17, 2008 4:21 pm US/Eastern
Fay To Close Key West Airport, Others Monitoring
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
Tropical Storm Fay has already ruined vacations for visitors to the Keys after Monroe County ordered them to evacuate Sunday, and now it could cause problems for people planning to fly to or from South Florida or take a South Florida-based cruise ship. Sunday, officials announced Key West airport could close Monday morning.
Three commercial airports serve the area from Ft. Lauderdale to Key West, and on Sunday airport managers were keeping a close eye on the progress of Fay as they considered the possibility of interrupting air service.
In Monroe County, emergency managers met Sunday afternoon and decided to close Key West airport effective 10 a.m. Monday morning. Weather conditions in the Keys are expected to deteriorate Monday as Fay approaches.
In Miami-Dade, Miami International Airport remained open Sunday afternoon, with no current plans to close.
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport will remain open, according to airport managers, so long as winds don't exceed current forecasts of tropical-storm force winds. County officials said they would re-assess their plans if conditions deteriorate.
At South Florida's ports, managers are making provisions to make sure all ships in port are safe. At the Port of Miami, all large ships over 500 tons are being asked to leave port for safety reasons. Port Everglades is taking no special action as of Sunday afternoon, but port officials anticipate that will change.
Officials at the Port of Key West expect to place the port on the highest alert status Sunday night. All large ships have been asked to leave port, and people who live aboard boats have been asked to secure them, and of possible, find a safe place on land to ride out Fay's effects.
Most cruise ships will be away from the Port of Miami and Port Everglades long before Fay's effects are felt in the area, but some cruise lines are altering ports of call for ships at sea to keep them out of the path of Fay.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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