The Port of Charleston announced it will be closed from today and remain off-limits to all ship traffic until at least Sunday.
The cruise port is shuttered to ride out the expected storm force winds of Hurricane Florence, which will still be severe despite a downgrading of the storm as it inches closer to the Carolinas.
The South Carolina Ports Authority said Charleston may reopen Sunday when Carnival Cruise Line has a scheduled departure to Bermuda.
The line says the Carnival Ecstacy is expected to depart as planned and passengers can register for text alerts as information is updated over the weekend.
Itineraries for the Carnival Pride and the Carnival Horizon were revised this week to stay well clear of the storm’s expected path.
Royal Caribbean and Norwegian also made changes to ship itineraries in the region.
States of emergency were declared for North and South Carolina and Virginia, and residents have been ordered to evacuate from coastal areas in all three states.
Now down to a Category 2 storm, Florence is still expected to unleash winds of about 110 miles per hour.
The National Hurricane Center said it could still cause life threatening damage and will remain at its current intensity when it makes landfall early Thursday.
About 1,000 flights have already been canceled in and out of several airports in Virginia, Georgia and the Carolinas.
