SeaPort Manatee receives $9.5M from state to aid post-Milton recovery

Gov. Ron DeSantis presented a check for $9.5 million to SeaPort Manatee to jump-start recovery at the port, which supplies the region with food, fuel and other goods, in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.

“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 says in a statement.

Due to Hurricane Milton, which made landfall as a Category 3 storm Oct. 9 about 30 miles from the port near Siesta Key, SeaPort Manatee was closed from the evening of Oct. 8 to Oct. 11. The port began distributing fuel again to the region on Oct. 13, officials say.

During the storm, SeaPort Manatee reports it lost power and sustained about $200 million in potential losses. Warehouses, berths, the container yard, offices and security installations were damaged, DeSantis says in the statement, noting insurance will not cover all losses.

“To minimize impacts to Floridians and ensure SeaPort Manatee gets back to full and efficient operations as quickly as possible, the state of Florida will provide $9.5 million to jump-start the recovery and help repair the impacted infrastructure,” DeSantis says in an Oct. 14 statement.

Here is what the emergency hurricane relief funds will go toward, according to DeSantis:

• $5.5 million for emergency berth repairs and dredging in state waters
• $3.5 million for immediate security needs and access control
• $500,000 for planning activities to fortify port infrastructure

In addition, the governor pledged staff support from multiple state agencies as well as assistance from the Florida National Guard with perimeter security.

“This additional funding from the state will really make all the difference” in returning to full operational status, SeaPort Manatee Executive Director Carlos Buqueras says in a statement.

SeaPort Manatee is the closest U.S. seaport to the Panama Canal. It includes 10 deep-draft berths, generating nearly $7.3 billion annually in economic impacts and providing 42,000 direct and indirect jobs. It is self-sustaining and does not receive any local property tax support.