TAMPA, Fla. – Inbound and outbound vessel traffic to Port Tampa Bay has ceased in preparation for Hurricane Helene, officials said in a news release. At 8 p.m. on Wednesday, the U.S. Coast Guard reportedly said the possibility of heavy winds could impact the port’s operations within the next 12 hours, leading to shipping channels being closed. But, officials added that landside operations will continue “as long as safely as possible.”