“Catastrophic” Hurricane Milton approaches Florida; theme parks, some airports close

Hurricane Milton is closing in on Florida while thousands flee ahead of what’s being called a once-in-a-century direct-hit storm.

Tuesday marked the last chance for millions in the Tampa metro area to prepare for life-threatening storm surges, powerful winds and possible tornadoes in a region that, less than two weeks ago, suffered destruction left behind by Hurricane Helene.

According to the National Hurricane Centre (NHC), the Category 4 storm (previously a Category 5) is expected to make landfall overnight Wednesday (Oct. 9) as a slightly weaker major hurricane along Florida’s Central Gulf Coast.  

Milton’s winds are expected to bluster up to 165mph (270km/h), says the NHC, which has described the hurricane as a "catastrophic" and "dangerous.”

Over the past 24 hours, Milton expanded from 80 miles to 140 miles from its centre, covering a large area. CNN is reporting that tropical-storm force winds are expected to cover the entire width of the Florida peninsula.

Milton’s outer bands have already swept into the Florida area, with ferocious winds and heavy rain expected by this afternoon.

The hurricane’s highest storm surge could just miss Tampa Bay, but record-breaking levels are still expected, the NHC says.

Fifteen feet of surge is possible for parts of the central coast between Boca Grande and Anna Maria Island. The Fort Myers and Cape Coral area could see up to 12 feet of storm surge while several feet of surge are possible elsewhere along the state’s west coast, the centre says.

Meanwhile, millions of Florida residents have been rushing to leave their homes as Milton nears, resulting in traffic jams on highways and fuel shortages, Reuters reports.

U.S. President Joe Biden warned that leaving Florida was a matter of "life and death", as the state undertakes its largest evacuation effort in years.

Which Florida airports are open and closed?

Florida’s airports have taken various courses of action ahead of Milton’s arrival (all subject to change):

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) closed Tuesday (Oct. 8) after the last flight leaves until further notice.

Tampa International Airport (TPA) closed Tuesday. It will provide any updates on social media.

Key West International Airport (EYW) is open and operating as usual. 

Orlando International Airport (MCO) will suspend operations at 8 a.m. Wednesday with no reopening announced yet.

Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) will close Wednesday and Thursday.

Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) closed at 4 p.m. Tuesday until further notice.

Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) will suspend operations at 9 p.m. Wednesday and resume when it’s safe to do so.

Miami International Airport (MIA) was scheduled to remain open, but flights may be cancelled there.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) is scheduled to remain open.

Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) is scheduled to remain open.

According to FlightAware, 1,721 flights have been cancelled and 288 have been delayed within, in and out of the U.S. for Wednesday (most disruptions are at Florida's airports).

Theme park closures

Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa, Aquatica Orlando and Discovery Cove have all announced modified hours and closure dates

In a statement, Disney World said "Based on the latest projection, we are making additional operational adjustments for the safety of our Guests and Cast Members beginning Wednesday, October 9."

On Wednesday, Disney's theme parks and Disney Springs will close in phases beginning at 1 p.m. According to the parks, it is "likely" the parks will stay closed on Thursday. The "Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party" scheduled for Thursday will also be cancelled, with event tickets refunded.

In its history, Walt Disney World, has only closed 10 times. The response to Hurricane Milton makes 11. 

As for its hotels, Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground and the Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa will temporarily close starting Wednesday, with closures lasting through at least Sunday (Oct. 13

Universal Orlando will also close Wednesday at 2 p.m. and will be closed Thursday.

Parks owned by United Parks and Resorts, including SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa, Aquatica Orlando and Discovery Cove, will also close on Wednesday and Thursday.

Cruise & air changes  

Florida’s cruise industry has adjusted some itineraries to avoid Milton’s wrath.

As previously reported, Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Margaritaville at Sea have changed some schedules for ships, offering alternative ports of call and sail times. Disney Cruise Line and Virgin Voyages have also advised passengers to stand by for updates.

Port Tampa Bay, which sits in Milton’s path, may be closed for days.

Passengers on the next sailings of Carnival Paradise and Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas could also see their voyages shortened or cancelled altogether due to the port closure.

Canadian airlines have also activated flexible rebooking policies for flights to impacted regions.

Air Canada has revised its ticketing policy to make it easier for customers travelling on an affected flight to make changes to their booking without penalty (space permitting).

A flexible policy up until Oct. 12 applies to flights heading to Miami, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers and Orlando. Click here for more.

WestJet, too, has waivers on flights to Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Orlando and Fort Myers until Oct. 11. The airline has also added a flexible rebooking policy for flights heading to Nassau, Bahamas for travel up until Oct. 11. Click here for details.

Porter Airlines is also offering complimentary changes to select Florida flights.

Up until Oct. 10, a waiver may be issued, allowing passengers to change their booking to fly earlier or later than scheduled, avoiding potential travel disruptions. Click here for details.

This is a developing story.

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