Hurricane Milton is barreling towards Florida, heading in a west to east path from the Gulf of Mexico, like an ice cream cone trying to scoop up the state from the gulf through Orlando to the eastern shores. Currently, Milton is a category 5 hurricane (the highest level of hurricane) and is predicted to go directly over the Tampa Bay area early Wednesday morning.
As of Monday morning, Governor Ron DeSantis had declared a state of emergency in 51 counties. Officials across the state were scrambling to clear debris left by Hurricane Helene last week so that pieces would not become projectiles in Milton's winds, while forecasters predicted a storm surge of 8-12 feet amid as much as 5-10 inches of rain in some areas. Parts of Florida were under mandatory evacuation orders.
If you have an upcoming trip scheduled to Florida, you'll want to stay abreast of the developments in your specific area, as the impact from the damage from Hurricane Milton will largely depend on where you are planning on visiting. However, if you're heading to the western coast of the state this week, it might be best to rearrange travel.
Here's what you need to know about travel to Florida right now.
You should proceed with outsized caution if you have plans to go to Florida's west coast this week, and consider changing your travel plans.
Florida's west coast regions of Tampa and Sarasota and the surrounding areas are still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Helene which made landfall just two weeks ago. These cities have already been asking visitors to stay away. The Sarasota government updated its website on Oct. 1 to say: "Lido Beach is CLOSED. Beachgoers and 'disaster tourists' are slowing down and impeding our storm recovery efforts. There are no restrooms, concessions, lifeguards, or other amenities. There may be seen and unseen hazards on the beach. Please stay off the beach and allow City staff to continue with recovery efforts in the area."
And now, according to the state's official tourism website, Visit Florida, "There is an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge and damaging winds for portions of the west coast of the Florida Peninsula beginning Tuesday night or early Wednesday. Storm Surge and Hurricane Watches are now in effect for portions of the west coast of the Florida Peninsula and residents in that area should follow any advice given by local officials and evacuate if told to do so."
The state website also notes, "areas of heavy rainfall will impact portions of Florida today [Monday] well ahead of Milton, with heavy rainfall more directly related to the system expected later on Tuesday through Wednesday night. This rainfall will bring the risk of considerable flash, urban, and areal flooding, along
The website maxtravelz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
In the summer of 2022, Carley Schweet, her husband, their toddler son, and their then nine-month-old daughter flew from Seattle to Lexington, Kentucky, to visit family. After they arrived, their daughter became congested and developed a fever. The couple, newly parents of two, thought the infant just had a bad summer cold. So they decided to stay in Lexington and then travel as planned to Chicago, where their daughter’s fever spiked again. They were only in Chicago for 48 hours, and while they thought about visiting a local urgent care, with guidance from their pediatrician, the couple patched up their daughter the best they could and flew back to Seattle.
Visit Florida launched a new campaign Monday to inform tourists that many parts of the state are open and ready to welcome visitors after hurricanes Helene and Milton.
While hurricanes bring short-term devastation, they often boost medium-term hotel performance in affected regions. Analysts at investment banks Bernstein, Baird, and Truist expect hurricanes Milton and Helene to impact hotel occupancy and revenue in Florida for months.
Rain began falling over Orlando early Wednesday morning as Hurricane Milton barreled toward the Sunshine State. Forecasts predicted violent winds, flash flooding, and tornadoes to reach the region by late afternoon.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Allison Gilgenbach, 45, a training director for an IT company from Cleveland. It has been edited for length and clarity.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sandra Guadarrama-Baumunk, 53, the co-owner of an advertising agency in Phoenix. It has been edited for length and clarity.
Large swaths of Florida were recovering on Friday after Hurricane Milton swept through as a major storm with airports and theme parks starting to reopen.