Port Hueneme seeks state funds following December storm damage to port facilities

PORT OF HUENEME, Calif - The Port of Hueneme is seeking emergency relief funding from state authorities to repair the port's shoreside power system that was damaged by rainwater. 

The City of Port Hueneme experienced an unprecedented amount of rain in December 2023.

The National Weather Service for Oxnard described the storm as a "once in every thousand years" event in an LA Times article.

Kristin Decas, CEO of the Port of Hueneme, said the port received about five inches of rain between December 21 and 22.

Surveillance video provided by the port shows rainwater pooling around the shoreside power system. 

"With just the flow of water being so quick, clogging of storm drains outside of our gates, inside our gates, we literally became a tub and we just had so much water accumulate that it decimated our shoreside power system," said Decas. 

It is estimated to cost $38 million dollars to rebuild the shoreside power system. 

Cargo ships in the port use the shoreside power system to refrigerate its cargo which reduces greenhouse emissions that would come from the ship's engines. Decas says those ships typically bring bananas to California and 13 other states for shoppers around the country. 

Damage to the shoreside power system did cause operational delays explained Dickens, but port workers were able to offload all the cargo following the rainstorm. 

Assessments are underway to determine the magnitude and timeframe for repair of the shoreline power system.