Several major Florida airports are temporarily closing as the state prepares for another hurricane to make landfall, further impacting the already-battered region.
Hurricane Milton, currently a Category 4 storm, is forecast to make landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast in the early morning hours of Thursday, bringing with it a risk of catastrophic and life-threatening flash and urban flooding. It comes after the state was hit by Hurricane Helene in late September, which brought devastating flooding and a storm surge to the Southeast, killing at least 232 people across six states.
On Wednesday, Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers posted on X that it’s shuttering operations through Thursday.
CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE MILTON BEARS DOWN ON FLORIDA
“Airlines, car rental agencies and parking facilities are not operating,” the airport posted on the social media platform.
While it plans to resume operations on Friday, the airport said its decision to do so “will depend on damage assessments and staffing, as many RSW employees will have storm impacts.”
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The Orlando International Airport also posted on Wednesday morning that it “ceased commercial operations” ahead of Hurricane Milton’s landfall.
The airport said it will resume its operations as soon as its safe and based on its damage assessments.
The Sarasota Bradenton International Airport in Sarasota also posted on X that operations will be closed Wednesday and Thursday.
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St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport in Clearwater closed down operations Tuesday after the last flight out. The airport posted on X that it will remain closed through Thursday.
“The airport is in a mandatory evacuation zone and is not a public shelter. Prepare and stay safe,” the airport wrote.
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