Is it safe to travel to Florida during Hurricane Milton?

Florida, also known as the Sunshine State, is famous for its glorious weather, beach resorts and theme parks, attracting millions of visitors to the state every year. 

However, the state is well within the path for the six-month-long Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30, and just two weeks after Hurricane Helene devastated destinations such as the city of Tampa, the category five Hurricane Milton is due to make landfall later today. 

There are evacuation orders in place across the state, and the storm has been labelled as potentially ‘life-threatening’, so here is everything you need to know if you have a trip booked to Florida. 

When is Hurricane Milton due to hit Florida? 

The storm, which is currently being classed as category five (the highest), is due to hit Florida’s shores on Wednesday night local time. It will likely make landfall near Sarasota. 

‘Fluctuations in intensity are likely while Milton moves across the eastern Gulf of Mexico, but Milton is expected to be a dangerous major hurricane when it reaches the west-central coast of Florida,’ said the National Hurricane Centre, according to CBS News. 

How to track Hurricane Milton

Earlier today, Milton was just north of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. The government issued hurricane warnings, with there being expectations of storm surges along portions of the coast.  

CNN has a live tracker that includes projections on rainfall and flood warnings as the storm approaches Florida.

Key areas of Florida expected to be affected

The eye of the hurricane is set to pass over west-central Florida, with cities such as Tampa and Orlando likely to feel the effects. There is a list and map of evacuation zones here. 

The following universities have also announced the closure of their campuses: University of Florida, University of South Florida, Florida International University, Florida Atlantic University, University of Miami, Florida A&M University, Palm Beach State College, Nova Southeastern University, University of Central Florida, Broward College, Miami Dade College. 

Is it safe to travel to Florida?

In short, no. With Hurricane Milton currently ranked as a category 5 storm and winds projected to reach 160 mph, thousands of people have been fleeing Florida over the last few days, and President Biden has described evacuation before it hits as a matter of ‘life and death’.

Governor Ron DeSantis has urged people to leave their homes as soon as they can, and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor warned the storm could be ‘catastrophic’. What’s more, the National Hurricane Centre has warned that Milton could be ‘one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida.’

The FCDO Florida travel advice page reads: ‘Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall on the west coast of Florida on the night of 9 October or morning of 10 October with tropical force winds affecting the west coast from the morning of 9 October.  There is an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge and high winds on the west coast and heavy rainfall and high winds are expected to impact large parts of Florida.’

Airlines cancelling flights

Virgin Atlantic has cancelled multiple flights to and from Tampa and Orlando to Heathrow and Manchester, and TUI, British Airways and multiple other airlines have done the same. In fact, according to flight tracking data provider FlightAware, 700 flights were cancelled yesterday (Tuesday), and 1,500 have been cancelled today (Wednesday). 

American Airlines have apparently waived its flight change fees for customers scheduled to travel in or out of Florida between October 8 and October 10, and United have done the same but for October 7 – 12. 

CBS news compiled the following roundup of what each airport in the state is planning for when Milton makes landfall. 

• St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport closed on Tuesday after the last flight left and will remain so until further notice. 
• Tampa International Airport closed on Tuesday and that it will provide any updates on social media.
• Orlando International Airport will suspend operations at 8am Wednesday with no reopening announced.
• Southwest Florida International Airport will close Wednesday and Thursday.
• Sarasota Bradenton International Airport closed at 4 pm Tuesday until further notice.
• Palm Beach International Airport will suspend operations at 9 pm Wednesday and resume when safe to do so.
• Miami International Airport was scheduled to remain open.
• Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport was scheduled to remain open.
• Jacksonville International Airport was scheduled to remain open.

You can read more about how flights have been affected by Hurricane Milton here. 

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

Due to the evacuations, it’s likely you’ll be entitled to cancel or reschedule your trip to Florida, but check directly with your travel and accommodation provider as soon as possible to see what can be done. 

Are Florida’s theme parks still open? 

According to Travel Gossip, this is what’s happening with Florida’s theme parks. 

Parks that have closed:

• Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
• Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa

Parks that will close from 2pm local time today:

• Universal Studios Florida Islands of Adventure and Universal CityWalk

Universal Volcano Bay will be closed today and tomorrow and the Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Florida is also cancelled for the next two nights. Universal’s hotels remain open for guests.

Controversially, Disney World is yet to announce its closure. Keep an eye on its website for updates if you have a trip booked here.

Other travel disruption

Cruises

As of Wednesday morning, Disney Cruise Line has cancelled its three-night October 11 journey on Disney Wish, and other cruise liners such as Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises and Carnival have altered their itineraries to avoid the storm. 

Florida Today has a page dedicated to cruise and shipping port updates, so keep an eye on that here. 

Road

According to the Georgia Department of Transportation, traffic volumes on Tuesday morning were 280 percent higher than their normal rate. If you will be driving, check what congestion is like on your route and leave plenty of time. 

Train

Operators in south Florida such as Tri-Rail, Brightline, Palm Tran and Amtrak have suspended their services, and tracks such as Florida Midland and Florida Central could experience localised flooding. If you have a train ticket booked for this week, it’s best to check directly with your travel provider. 

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