clouds and clouds in the sky
Photograph ©2024 by Brian Cohen.
Brian Cohen·
Weather
··13 min read

Hurricane Milton Nears Landfall: October 2024 Travel Alert

Updated travel alerts and travel waivers have been issued by airlines, airports, national parks, and theme parks.

Airlines and airports have both officially issued the latest updates to their travel alerts and travel waivers; and one result of Hurricane Milton as it nears landfall October 2024 on the west coast of Florida is the development of tornados in Fort Myers, Alligator Alley, and other areas in the southern half of the state where at least 70 tornado warnings have been issued earlier today, Wednesday, October 9, 2024.

Hurricane Milton Nears Landfall: October 2024 Travel Alert

Maximum sustained winds of Hurricane Milton — which is currently approximately 60 miles west southwest of Sarasota in Florida and moving east at a speed of 17 miles per hour — are at 120 miles per hour, which means that it is currently a strong Category 3 hurricane.

a map of the hurricane
Source: National Hurricane Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States.

The landfall of Hurricane Milton will occur as a major hurricane between the greater metropolitan areas of Tampa Bay and Fort Myers in Florida — likely at or just south of Sarasota — within the next few hours tonight, Wednesday, October 9, 2024. Although the effects of the impact of Hurricane Milton will still be potentially catastrophic, the good news for the greater metropolitan area of Tampa Bay is that:

  • Landfall will likely occur south of the the greater metropolitan area of Tampa Bay, which means that the area will be on the north side — or the preferred side — of the hurricane.
  • The forward movement of Hurricane Milton has sped up to 17 miles per hour, which means less time for the hurricane to cause destruction — but it could still slow down at the last minute prior to landfall.
  • The level of the strength of the hurricane will likely remain at Category 3.

Unfortunately, Sarasota and areas south will be on the side of Hurricane Milton with more substantial rainfall and gustier winds — as well as the aforementioned tornados.

The main reason why Hurricane Milton rapidly intensified to a Category 5 level at least twice is because the waters of the Gulf of Mexico are warmer than normal due to the lack of cyclonic activity this year. That no other weather feature — such as a cold front — inhibited its development certainly did not help.

Hurricane Helene also rapidly developed in a similar manner; but it took a complete different track than Hurricane Milton is currently taking — so much of the time that Hurricane Milton tracked northeast across the Gulf of Mexico was mostly over abnormally warm waters that helped fuel it to quickly become a Category 5 hurricane on Monday, October 7, 2024.

a satellite image of a hurricane
Source: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the Department of Commerce of the United States.

The official satellite loop from the The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the Department of Commerce of the United States shows that the eye of Hurricane Milton is not as clearly defined, which is one feature of a powerful tropical cyclone that is weakening. At one time, the barometric pressure of Hurricane Milton was at 897 millibars. For comparison purposes, the lowest barometric pressure that was ever recorded in the history of our planet for a tropical cyclone was 870 millibars for Typhoon Tip in October of 1979. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was at 902 millibars of barometric pressure with maximum sustained winds of 175 miles per hour. The barometric pressure of Hurricane Milton is currently at 948 millibars; and that increase in barometric pressure is the main reason why Hurricane Milton weakened from a strong Category 5 hurricane of 180 miles per hour to a strong Category 3 hurricane of 120 miles per hour.

A state of emergency has been declared in 51 counties of the state of Florida by Ron DeSantis, who is the current governor of the state.

Mandatory evacuations have been ordered in many areas of Florida — as part of what may possibly be the largest evacuation order since Hurricane Irma in 2017 — which expect to be impacted by Hurricane Milton. If you are in the path of this hurricane, you might still have time to take action immediately — but this will be your absolute last chance — to evacuate to a safer location and follow the advice that is outlined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency of the Department of Homeland Security of the United States.

The eastbound lanes of Interstate 4 and the northbound lanes of both Interstate 75 and Interstate 275 have been clogged with traffic. To help ease evacuation efforts, tolls have been suspended on many toll roads throughout the state — as well as the emergency opening of shoulder lanes for increased capacity of traffic.

Supplies have been exhausted at an increasing number of supermarkets and home improvement stores. Dining establishments have been running out of food. Long queues have been forming at fuel stations across the state — only for motorists to find that the pumps no longer have regular gasoline available for sale. Florida State Troopers have been escorting fuel trucks along highways to ensure that motorists have the fuel they need to evacuate and not be stranded on the highways.

In addition to substantially strong sustained winds for areas that will be close to the eye of the hurricane, another factor will be the inundating torrential rains and flooding — especially for areas that are on the south and east side of the hurricane because of the counterclockwise motion of the storm, which will “shovel” the rain and gulf water onto western Florida. This area includes Sarasota southwards in western Florida.

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Florida for:

  • Bonita Beach northward to the mouth of the Suwannee River — including Tampa Bay
  • The border which Saint Lucie County and Martin County share northward to Ponte Vedra Beach

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for Florida for:

  • Lake Okeechobee
  • Martin County from the border it shares with Saint Lucie County to the border it shares with Palm Beach County

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:

  • All of the Florida Keys — including Dry Tortugas and Florida Bay
  • Lake Okeechobee
  • Flamingo to south of Bonita Beach
  • North of the mouth of the Suwanee River to Indian Pass
  • South of the border which Saint Lucie County and Martin County share to Flamingo
  • North of Ponte Vedra Beach Florida to the Savannah River
  • Extreme northwestern Bahamas — including Grand Bahama Island, the Abacos, and Bimini
  • North of the Savannah River to South Santee River in South Carolina

A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for:

  • Flamingo northward to Yankeetown — including Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay
  • Sebastian Inlet in Florida to Altamaha Sound in Georgia — including Saint Johns River

Significant precipitation of up to 18 inches is possible in across portions of much of the state of Florida, which is expected to result in substantial urban flooding and flash flooding.

Rough surf and strong rip currents will gradually affect much of the southeastern United States as Hurricane Milton approaches. A storm surge of as high as 20 feet above normal is expected to contribute to the aforementioned substantial flooding of portions of Florida.

See also

Expect windy conditions to occur over much of the state of Florida and as far north as eastern South Carolina. Electric power lines will be affected and cause tens of thousands of people to temporarily be without electrical power, which could last for weeks. Trees will also fall because of both soil that is too wet to support them and strong gusty winds. Tornados have already been occurring throughout the southern half of the state of Florida and are still likely in many areas. Tornados are most likely to occur with the outer bands of the hurricane rather than near the eye of the hurricane.

Recovery of the areas which are hardest hit will likely take months to complete, as the repair of damage and clearing of debris from Hurricane Helene — which was not a direct hit on the peninsula of Florida — have not been close to completion.

Latest Update of Operations of Theme Parks and National Parks

Most operations are officially suspended at the following theme parks and national parks:

Latest Update of Operations at Airports

Operations are officially suspended at the following airports:

Airports which are monitoring the progress of Hurricane Milton at the time this article was written include:

Flight Waivers, Delays, and Cancellations

If you are traveling to or from many areas of Florida, expect delays and cancellations of flights. Keep up to date on the latest information pertaining to this tropical weather system which may adversely affect your travel plans. Better yet, postponing or canceling your trip might be a better option — no matter which mode of travel you plan on taking.

If you have a flight scheduled, your flight may be delayed or canceled — and you may be eligible for a waiver of a fee to change your itinerary. If you are driving in any of these areas, watch out for deteriorating weather conditions and traffic problems.

Here are 19 airlines which have issued travel alerts as a result of this tropical weather system:

  • American Airlines has issued travel alerts for twelve airports in Florida and five airports in the Bahamas for Tuesday, October 8, 2024 through Saturday, October 12, 2024; and Saturday, October 19, 2024 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
  • Delta Air Lines has issued travel alerts for:
    • Nine airports in Florida for Monday, October 7, 2024 through Thursday, October 10, 2024; and Tuesday, October 15, 2024 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
    • Fort Myers, Sarasota, and Tampa for Monday, October 7, 2024 through Tuesday, October 15, 2024; and Wednesday, October 23, 2024 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
  • United Airlines has issued travel alerts for nine airports in Florida for Monday, October 7, 2024 through Saturday, October 12, 2024; and Saturday, October 19, 2024 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
  • Alaska Airlines has issued travel alerts for five airports in Florida for Monday, October 7, 2024 through Thursday, October 10, 2024; and Thursday, October 17, 2024 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
  • Southwest Airlines has issued travel alerts for Savannah, Charleston, and eleven airports in Florida for Tuesday, October 8, 2024 through Saturday, October 12, 2024; and Saturday, October 26, 2024 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
  • JetBlue Airways has issued travel alerts for Cancún and eight airports in Florida for Monday, October 7, 2024 through Sunday, October 13, 2024; and Thursday, October 17, 2024 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
  • Frontier Airlines has issued travel alerts for Cancún and nine airports in Florida for Monday, October 7, 2024 through Saturday, October 12, 2024.
  • Spirit Airlines has issued travel alerts for six airports in Florida for Monday, October 7, 2024 through Saturday, October 12, 2024; and Saturday, October 19, 2024, 2024 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
  • Allegiant Air has issued travel alerts for Sarasota, Saint Petersburg-Clearwater, and Punta Gorda starting on Tuesday, October 8, 2024.
  • Sun Country Airlines has issued travel alerts for seven airports in Florida for Monday, October 7, 2024 through Saturday, October 12, 2024; and Saturday, October 19, 2024 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
  • Breeze Airways has issued travel alerts for seven airports in Florida for Monday, October 7, 2024 through Thursday, October 10, 2024; and Thursday, October 24, 2024 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
  • Silver Airways has issued travel alerts for Fort Lauderdale, Key West, Tampa, and Orlando for Tuesday, October 8, 2024 through Thursday, October 10, 2024; and Thursday, October 17, 2024 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
  • Air Canada has issued travel alerts for five airports in Florida for Monday, October 7, 2024 through Saturday, October 12, 2024.
  • Porter Airlines has issued travel alerts for Fort Lauderdale and Orlando for Wednesday, October 9, 2024 through Thursday, October 10, 2024; and Thursday, October 17, 2024 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
  • Aeromexico has issued travel alerts for:
    • Mérida, Ciudad del Carmen, and Campeche for Monday, October 7, 2024 through Tuesday, October 8, 2024; and Monday, October 14, 2024 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
    • Tampa, Miami, and Orlando for Tuesday, October 8, 2024 through Thursday, October 10, 2024; and Monday, October 14, 2024 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
  • Caribbean Airlines has issued a travel alert for Orlando for Wednesday, October 9, 2024; and Friday, October 25, 2024 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
  • Cayman Airways has issued travel alerts for Tampa and Miami for Sunday, October 6, 2024 through Friday, October 11, 2024; and Wednesday, October 16, 2024 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
  • KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has issued travel alerts for:
    • Nine airports in Florida for Monday, October 7, 2024 through Thursday, October 10, 2024; and Tuesday, October 15, 2024 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
    • Fort Myers, Sarasota, and Tampa for Monday, October 7, 2024 through Tuesday, October 15, 2024; and Wednesday, October 23, 2024 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
  • Virgin Atlantic Airways has issued travel alerts for eight airports in Florida for Monday, October 7, 2024 through Thursday, October 10, 2024; and Saturday, October 19, 2024 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.

Final Boarding Call

Expect some of the airlines to extend the time period of their travel waivers to airports that serve the greater metropolitan areas of Tampa, Sarasota, and Fort Myers as three examples.

Be sure to contact your airline or transportation provider for the latest information pertaining to your travels — if they are adversely affected — and please: travel safely.

As for the people who will be impacted by Hurricane Milton: my thoughts and prayers are with you…

Photograph ©2024 by Brian Cohen.

© 2006-2023 The Gate with Brian Cohen All Rights Reserved.

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to The Gate with Brian Cohen with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have Successfully Subscribed!