The remaining government services that were open began shutting down Tuesday afternoon.
Bus service will end at 3 p.m. Port Everglades closed earlier Tuesday even though fuel trucks continued to pick up gas to deliver to stations.
The last departure from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is expected at 6:30 p.m. today. Travelers should check with their airlines and arrive no later than 4 p.m. if their flight is still leaving. That's because the Transportation Security Administration will close the security checkpoints at 6 p.m.
Broward County was fortunate to experience only minimal effects from Tropical Storm Ernesto. Just over two inches of rain have been recorded as of this morning. There are no reports of flooding. The highest wind gust was recorded at 50 mph at Port Everglades. Power outages have been scattered with fewer than 500 homes without power. Broward remains under a flood watch and a Tropical Storm Warning; however, the Hurricane Watch has been lifted.
The following are updates on service resumptions and other emergency response actions:
• Broward County Transit buses will resume a normal operating schedule today, Wednesday, August 30, beginning at noon. Paratransit services will also resume normal service at noon today.
• Tri-Rail service will resume on Thursday.
• Approximately 680 persons were at the six American Red Cross Shelters (as of 6:00 a.m. this morning). The shelter population is rapidly diminishing as residents return home. Transportation will be provided for those evacuees that need it.
• The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is open. Travelers should check with their airlines before leaving for the airport.
• The Coast Guard is currently performing inspections at Port Everglades. Port Everglades anticipates resuming normal operations by noon today. Cruise passengers should contact their cruise lines for information.
• No disruptions have been reported on the major roadways. Three traffic signals were damaged; however, these are currently being repaired.
• All Service Refuse and Waste Management Inc. plan to resume garbage and recycling collections tomorrow. There will be no collections today.
• Broward County schools will be in full session tomorrow.
• Broward County government will be open tomorrow with normal business operations.
• The Hurricane Hot Line has responded to more than 14,000 calls. The Hot Line will remain operational until 5:00 p.m. today.
• Early voting will resume at noon tomorrow at all designated locations.
At 8 PM EDT...0000z...all hurricane watches for Florida are discontinued.
At 9 PM EDT...the Government of the Bahamas will discontinue all hurricane watches in the northwestern Bahamas.A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect from Englewood on the Florida West Coast southward...around the Florida Peninsula...and northward to Altamaha Sound Georgia...including all the Florida Keys and Lake Okeechobee.
A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect for Andros Island...the Berry Islands...the Biminis and Grand Bahama Island in the northwestern Bahamas.
A Tropical Storm watch remains in effect from north of Englewood toTarpon Springs Florida. A Hurricane Watch remains in effect north of Altamaha Sound to Cape Fear North Carolina.
Tropical Storm Ernesto is over the warm Atlantic water, and is getting better organised. Winds are 60 mph, moving North at 15 mph, and the pressure has fallen to 996 millibars. It is expected to become a hurricane again
Forecasters issued a hurricane watch for the Carolina coasts Thursday, and Virginia's governor declared a state of emergency as Tropical Storm Ernesto neared hurricane strength in the Atlantic.
The watch, stretching from South Carolina's Santee River to Cape Lookout in North Carolina, means hurricane conditions, with sustained winds of at least 74 mph, were possible within 12 hours.
Travel news in relation to Ernesto 
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