As a potentially devastating Hurricane Milton barrels toward Florida's Gulf Coast, both the Tampa and Orlando airports have announced they will be shutting down commercial operations ahead of the storm's landfall.
The Tampa International Airport, with Milton on track to give the Tampa Bay region a direct hit, announced it will be shutting down commercial operations starting Tuesday morning.
"We will suspend flight operations at 9 a.m. Tuesday and reopen when safe to do so," the airport posted to X.
Tampa International Airport is in an “A” evacuation zone, meaning it will not serve as a shelter for people or vehicles during the storm, according to NBC News.
The Orlando International Airport, which serves many tourists traveling to visit the city's famous theme parks, has also said it will suspend commercial operations Wednesday morning.
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"Our airport will cease commercial operations on Wednesday morning, in advance of Hurricane Milton," the airport's post to X read. "This move was made in coordination with our partners. We will resume commercial operations as soon as it is safe."
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However, the airport said it will remain open for emergency aid and relief flights during the storm.
As for Orlando's theme parks, both Walt Disney World Resort and the Universal Orlando Resort say they are continuing to operate as usual and are monitoring the weather.
However, some of the campgrounds at Disney World have already announced they will close ahead of the storm.
As of Monday evening, Hurricane Milton was a Category 5 storm in the Gulf of Mexico, on track to hit Tampa and central Florida as a Category 3 storm Wednesday evening.
