Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida at Siesta Key, just south of Sarasota, on Wednesday, October 9, bringing sustained and powerful winds, including tornadoes, plus warnings of storm surges.
The weather front has resulted in widespread damage and left more than two million properties without power and holidaymakers are inevitably impacted.
At the time of writing, on October 10, Hurricane Milton was passing through Florida meaning that details about the extreme weather’s impact on the state’s tourism infrastructure were not yet available.
Data shared by Cirium on the morning of October 9 revealed that 853 of the day’s flights departing Florida (47% of all scheduled departures) and 887 scheduled arrivals (49%) were cancelled. As of that point , 11 (79%) of the 14 flights scheduled between the UK and Florida had been cancelled, including all eight to Orlando International Airport (MCO), which has ceased operations temporarily.
Airports in Florida closed
Tampa International Airport (TPA) announced on October 7 that it would remain closed, with flight operations suspended, until it is safe to reopen. A message on the airport website urged passengers to contact their airline for the latest flight information.
Melbourne Orlando International Airport (MLB) announced it will remain closed to commercial flights until 9.00 am on Friday, October 11, and that people with bookings should contact their airport directly for flight information.
Meanwhile, Miami International Airport (MIA) is open but has announced a partial lane closure for landings and urged travellers to take precautions while driving to the airport.
Virgin Atlantic is one of the airlines whose flights have been cancelled because of Hurricane Milton. A spokesperson for the airline commented: “Unfortunately this has impacted our flying schedule, and services to and from Orlando and Tampa are subject to cancellations and delays.”
“The safety and welfare of our customers and crew is our top priority and we are contacting any Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Atlantic Holidays customers who may be impacted by the hurricane to discuss their options and we ask that anyone travelling checks the status of their flights on virginatlantic.com for the latest information,” they continued.
Tour operators respond
Bladhana Richardson, Head of Brand and Acquisition at American Holidays said: “For our clients currently in Florida, we have been in contact with them all and for those immediately impacted, moved them from the evacuation area. Any clients travelling in the next 24 hours have been contacted, are being kept updated with changes and we have rearranged their travel plans. This is an ongoing situation until such a time as flights resume and airports re-open.
“We provide as much information as possible to keep our clients updated, including some simple reminders such as keeping a mobile charged, downloading airline apps for flight updates, having their travel insurance policy to hand and keeping in touch with their hotel team so they get the most up to date local authority advice,” she continued.
“For clients or travel agents with booking with us, we advise them to keep in contact us so we can manage any changes to their bookings, should they be impacted or concerned about their travel plans,” concluded Richardson.
Hurricane Milton’s power
By the time Hurricane Milton made landfall, it was a Category Three hurricane – which the US National Weather Service explains has sustained wind speeds of 111 to 129mph, warning that “devastating damage will occur” with such storms.
According to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, used by the US National Weather Service, hurricanes that are Category Three and higher are considered significant “because of their potential for significant loss of life and damage.”
As it moved across the Gulf of Mexico towards Florida, Milton was classed as a Category Five storm. According to the US National Weather Service, such hurricanes have winds of 157mph or higher and “catastrophic damage will occur”.
According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Milton is “one of the most intense hurricanes on record in the Atlantic basin”.
Visit Space Coast issued a Hurricane Milton Update on Wednesday that urged people in the region to find shelter and to avoid venturing onto the beach.
The tropical storm warning that was in effect for the Florida Keys was cancelled on the morning of Thursday, October 10. There are no indications of any major flooding or damage in the region.
“The destination is certainly ready to welcome visitors,” commented a Florida Keys representative.
“We encourage holidaymakers with trips planned to St. Pete-Clearwater in the coming weeks to contact their travel agent, tour operator or airline for the latest information. We appreciate everyone’s patience and cooperation and will provide further updates as necessary,” said a spokesperson.
“Please be patient in the recovery process,” commented a spokesperson for Amelia Island in northeast Florida – on the outer fringe of the hurricane, the region fared well in comparison to other parts of the state.
“Floridians are the most resilient there are and the hospitality industry in Florida are used to navigating the recovery in these situations and will clean up extremely rapidly,” they continued.
The thoughts of the Selling Travel team go out to all detrimentally affected by Hurricane Milton.
