DeSantis Grants SeaPort Manatee $9.5M After Hurricane Milton
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis awarded SeaPort Manatee a $9.5 million grant Oct. 14 to help repair berths and infrastructure after the deepwater port sustained $225 million in damages after Hurricane Milton roared through, wiping out most of the port’s on-site warehouses.
A key eastern Gulf of Mexico entrance for fuel and goods brought to Florida’s U.S. Interstate 4 corridor and distribution centers in Tampa, SeaPort Manatee is the closest U.S. deepwater seaport to the expanded Panama Canal. SeaPort Manatee handles 11 million tons of cargo yearly.
“SeaPort Manatee is a critical gateway for supplying fuel stations throughout our region and beyond, with a flow of nearly 400 million gallons a year,” said Carlos Buqueras, port executive director. “It is particularly crucial that we have been able to see resumption of this fuel supply at a time when our area has been hit by two hurricanes in such a short period of time.”
The destruction wrought after the hurricane made landfall Oct. 9 in Siesta Key, a barrier island less than 40 miles south of the port, caused port damage amounting to losses of 10 out of 13 on-site warehouses and three of the 10 port-owned docking facilities.
Buqueras
Port offices and security installations also incurred widespread damage. SeaPort Manatee’s 10 deep-draft berths handle containers, liquid and dry bulk, break bulk, heavy-lift items and general cargo. Other cargo includes fruits and vegetables, appliances, petroleum products, citrus juice products, fertilizer, steel, aluminum, cement, aggregate construction materials and wood for widespread distribution across the southwest part of the state and into the nation’s southeastern states.
The day before DeSantis visited the port to award the grant, SeaPort Manatee had only been able to support ship traffic in one direction during daylight hours because of U.S. Coast Guard restrictions. Power had been partially restored, and only limited landside operations were occurring.
SeaPort Manatee is Southwest Florida’s primary deep-water port and an essential link in our supply chain. Though the port sustained serious damage from Hurricane Milton, we’ve worked with the port to resume partial operations. Still, SeaPort Manatee must be completely repaired… pic.twitter.com/5rwkVhUzub — Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) October 14, 2024
“This action to get SeaPort Manatee back to full operations will benefit the people of Florida, ensure the hardening of our infrastructure for future disasters, and ensure normal life is resumed for Floridians as soon as possible,” DeSantis said. “Taking action to address these impacts now is imperative to keep Florida on the road to recovery.”
The governor noted that while insurance will cover part of the port’s hurricane-related damage, “some components are not” provided for under insurance policies and must be funded.
Distribution of fuel from SeaPort Manatee resumed Oct. 13, meeting the needs of a region that was running extremely low on the commodity before, during and after the storm swept through. (
The state grant will pay for $5.5 million for emergency berth repairs and dredging in state waters and $3.5 million to rebuild immediate security needs and access control. The remaining $500,000 will go toward planning to strengthen port infrastructure.
“We want to make sure our supply chain is strong and that we get the port back to where it needs to be as soon as possible,” DeSantis said.
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DeSantis also ordered several state agencies to expedite resources for faster port recovery. The Florida Department of Transportation will provide experts and skilled workers, and the state Department of Environmental Protection will expedite all permits to immediately rebuild port infrastructure. The Florida Division of Emergency Management will assist port staff in applying for federal emergency aid. Also, the Florida National Guard will supply personnel to re-establish perimeter security and repair fencing.
Last year, SeaPort Manatee contributed $7.3 billion in economic value to the U.S. economy, according to the governor’s office.
“With the major impact that seaports have on our state’s economy and the quality of life for our residents, it’s critical that we ensure our seaports are open and fully operational — particularly SeaPort Manatee — given the significant damage they sustained following Hurricane Milton,” said Jared Perdue, state transportation secretary.
