U.S. Coast Guard battens down Ga. ports awaiting Hanna

This NOAA graphic shows the expected five-day storm path of tropical storm Hanna on Friday, Sept. 5, 2008. Click graphic for larger image.

The U.S. Coast Guard has closed the ports of Savannah and Brunswick to inbound vessels because of Tropical Storm Hanna.

This infrared satellite image provided by the NOAA show tropical storm Hanna moving over the Bahamas on Friday, Sept. 5, 2008. Click photo for larger image.

The National Weather Service issued tropical storm warnings Friday for the East Coast from Georgia to Virginia. The storm's center was expected to make landfall along the coast of the Carolinas early Saturday morning.

The Coast Guard said in a news release Friday that the ports will be assessed after the storm has passed to determine whether it's safe for traffic to resume.

In South Carolina, the State Ports Authority plans to close the Port of Charleston to land traffic at noon Friday. The Coast Guard has urged all vessels and barges weighing more than 500 gross tons to leave as soon as possible.

This NOAA image shows tropical storm Hanna heading toward the Atlantic coast and hurricane Ike churning further east over the Atlantic Ocean on Friday, Sept. 5, 2008. Click photo for larger image.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of hurricane season.

(The Associated Press)

Five missing are resuced off Georgia coast

Five missing boaters have been rescued off the Georgia coast. A helicopter crew with the Coast Guard picked up the boaters, who had been stranded on the eastern side of St. Catherine's Island. The group had been missing since a Sunday day trip.
The boaters had beached their vessel to ride out a passing squall, but the following tide flooded the boat on the beach. They were unable to push back into the water. The group used lighters to signal the Coast Guard choppers.

Grounded ship sails again

A Bulgarian freight vessel grounded off the Georgia coast is back to sea. The Koznitsa grounded two days ago nine miles east of Brunswick harbor. The Coast Guard inspected it for damage, and deemed it safe to continue its voyage. The cause of the grounding remains under investigation.