Mississippi River Could Close on Monday
Swollen by weeks of heavy rain and snowmelt, the Mississippi River has been breaking high-water records that have stood since the 1920s and 1930s; it is projected to crest at Vicksburg, Mississippi, on 19 May and break the mark set there during the historic Great Flood of 1927; the crest is expected to reach New Orleans on 23 May; officials with the Port of New Orleans said the Coast Guard may close the river to ships as early as Monday, halting traffic on one of the world's busiest commercial waterways; barges headed south from the U.S.
Gulf Oil Spill: Ships Face Few Delays
As oil from BP's sub-sea well laps coastal Louisiana, most ships in the Gulf have avoided contact with the spill but owners fear that regulations will be tightened after the disaster, raising their costs. “We've seen no delays from the spill, and it hasn't affected the operations of any of our ships,” said Dean Taylor, president of Tidewater Inc. in late May. Four vessels owned by Tidewater, which is headquartered in New Orleans, have been involved in recovery efforts. The company's work boat Damon B.
New Orleans Port Regaining Most of Pre-Katrina Cargo
The Port of New Orleans, which sustained heavy damage from Hurricane Katrina, had regained nearly 94 percent of its pre-storm cargo by the end of May, according to figures released by the port Friday. The port went through a dismal four-month stretch following Katrina's strike on Aug. 29 that included a 12-day shutdown, the loss of about one-third of its operating capacity and the rerouting of cargo to other ports by several shipping lines. But figures compiled for the first four months of 2006, the latest available, showed that the tonnage of general cargo handled at the port was only 3.8 percent lower than the first four months of 2005. General cargo includes goods shipped in containers and breakbulk cargo, such as steel and rubber, that is transported on pallets.
