Is it safe to travel to Florida during Hurricane Milton? Latest advice

The US state of Florida is ordering evacuations ahead of Hurricane Milton, which is expected to make landfall in the early hours of Thursday, October 10. The extremely powerful storm was only named on October 5, but within 48 hours it had “explosively” intensified into a Category 5 hurricane, the highest category. It’s since been downgraded to category 4. It’s expected there will be storm surges of up to 15ft that will flood areas that are normally dry, and maximum sustained wind speeds of up to 155 mph.

With a life-threatening storm on the way, travel warnings are in place across the state. If you have upcoming plans to visit Florida, here’s what you need to know.

When will Hurricane Milton make landfall?

According to an update from the US National Hurricane Center at 7am local time on Tuesday, October 8, Hurricane Milton is currently in the Gulf of Mexico, just north of the Yucatan Peninsula.

It’s expected to move east and approach the west coast of Florida on Wednesday, October 9, and make landfall around Tampa at approximately 1am on Thursday, October 10.

After making landfall, the storm is expected to sweep east towards the Atlantic, leaving Florida by about 1pm on Thursday, October 10.

Is there a live tracker where I can follow the hurricane?

You can follow the storm live on the US National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration website. It shows the expected route for Hurricane Milton and other potential storms.

Which areas of Florida have been evacuated?

Currently there are mandatory evacuation orders in place for Charlotte County, Citrus County, Collier County, Hernando County, Hillsborough County, Lee County, Levy County, Manatee County, Pasco County, Pinellas County and Volusia County. Most of these counties are on the west coast of Florida on either side of Tampa, with the exception of Volusia County, which is on the east coast.

In addition, there are also several counties with voluntary evacuation orders in place, particularly for those living in low-lying areas or in mobile homes.

The full list of evacuation orders can be found here.

Is it safe to travel to Florida during Hurricane Milton?

Hurricane Milton is a life-threatening storm, causing flight cancellations and a number of airport closures. While some areas of the state may not be affected directly by the storm, the evacuation orders mean there will be a lot of displaced people and those trying to get to other parts of the country. At the latest update, a state of emergency has been declared in more than 50 counties (including Miami-Dade and Palm Beach). Visitors travelling against evacuation orders are effectively likely to be uninsured.

A red warning flag is seen on a beach in Mexico ahead of Hurricane Milton’s arrival

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Can I get a refund if I cancel my holiday because of the hurricane?

If you have a trip booked for Florida in the near future, you should contact your travel provider. It’s likely that they will cancel your trip and automatically offer you a full refund or the chance to rebook your trip for another time. If you cancel your trip yourself, you’re unlikely to get a refund despite what’s happening in Florida.

• Compensation for cancelled and delayed flights: everything you need to know

Am I covered by my travel insurance?

You should check your travel insurance policy to see whether you’re covered for extreme weather events such as a hurricane. Many policies do have a clause on this, but the level of coverage can vary. In some cases, you’ll only get money to cover travel disruption rather than any compensation.

• Travel insurance guide: everything you need to know
• Caribbean hurricane season: how will it affect my holiday?