Hurricane Milton: What to know if you are traveling to Florida

1 month ago 23

Hurricane Milton is barreling toward 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 destination, 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.

Is it safe to travel to Florida?

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 with the potential for moderate to major river flooding."

Theme Park Updates

Milton is expected to travel across a wide cross section of the state, including Tampa and Orlando, home to the Florida's most popular theme parks. Currently, Walt Disney World's website has a statement that says "the Resort is currently operating under normal conditions. We are closely monitoring the path of the projected storm as we continue to prioritize the safety of our Guests and Cast Members. Universal Orlando has a similar statement that reads, "At this time, our park operations and hours are continuing as normal. We are closely monitoring the weather. Please check back for updates."

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Legoland Florida announced it will be closed on Wed., Oct. 9, and Thurs. Oct. 10, with hotel operating at a limited capacity. Busch Gardens Tampa will be closed on Oct. 8, 9 and 10. And as of press time, SeaWorld Orlando plans to remain open.

Airlines and Airports in Florida

Tampa International Airport (TPA) has already said that it will close by Tuesday at 9 a.m. It's unclear when the airport will reopen; TPA officials have said that it depends on how much damage, if any, the airport sustains, and how long it takes to fix that.

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) — where Allegiant Air operates commercial flights — will close on Tuesday afternoon after the last flight departs, the airport said. Allegiant has canceled all flights at PIE for Wednesday and Thursday.

Both airports lie within mandatory evacuation zones.

Orlando International Airport (MCO) will cease commercial and private flights Wednesday morning, officials said, while leaving the airport open to emergency aid flights. Officials said that the airport will reopen once the storm passes and damage has been assessed.

Airlines have slowly begun canceling flights, although this is likely to accelerate in the coming days.

Airlines that service Florida are offering a variety of travel waivers ahead of the storm. The particulars of each waiver vary, but they generally apply to flights to, from or through various airports in Florida between Oct. 8–10. With the waivers, travelers can change their flights without having to pay a difference in fares. Generally, the new travel date must be by Oct. 17.

Check with your airline for more details if you have travel coming up this week.

What to do if you have a hotel or Airbnb booked in Florida

Now is the time to proactively change your reservation. If you reserved directly with a hotel, first check its website and see if it has posted any updates. You can also call the hotel directly or the main reservations number. Keep in mind that many properties may likely be managing the crisis, so calling the property directly should be a last option.

If you booked through a third-party online travel agency or aggregator like Expedia or Travelocity, it's important to understand the cancellation policy. The OTA still owns your reservation prior to your travel, so contacting the hotel directly will likely result in you being referred back to the OTA or travel portal for assistance.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Expedia and Hotels.com waved cancellation policies, and Vrbo, which is part of the Expedia Group, activated its extenuating circumstances policy. It's likely that the same policies will be put into effect as Milton makes landfall.

After Helene, Airbnb activated its major disruptive events policy for parts of the southeast, but has yet to make an announcement about Milton.

What to do if you have a cruise leaving from Florida

For cruise passengers, it's important to understand the cancellation or rebooking policy for the specific cruise company you booked, so check with your individual line for details. However, be prepared for possible cancellations, route changes and delayed departures if you're scheduled to depart from Florida this week, for both Port Canaveral on the east coast and Port Tampa Bay on the west coast, due to both the storm as well as the tidal aftermath.

Port Tampa Bay, where Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises and Margaritaville at Sea, all sail from, issued the following statement: "At 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6, the U.S. Coast Guard set Port Condition X-RAY, meaning the possibility of gale force winds could impact our maritime operations within 48 hours," it posted on its website. "Inbound and outbound vessel traffic to our port remains open and landside operations will continue as long as safely possible."

As TPG's cruise team has reported, per the terms of the cruise contract to which you consent before sailing, cruise lines do not owe you compensation if they alter your itinerary. If the line makes changes, you will be refunded for any shore excursions you booked through the cruise line that were to take place in the ports you're skipping. (Check with your tour provider directly if you've booked a third-party excursion.)

TPG's guide on what happens if a cruise gets canceled is the next place to refer to for guidance if you receive notice that your cruise is canceled.

Will your credit card or trip insurance cover changes?

If you purchased travel insurance before Milton became a named storm, you should be able to recoup most of your travel expenses. Unfortunately, if you purchased a policy after the storm was named, it won't help.

"Insurance covers the unexpected," Jenna Hummer, public relations director of Squaremouth (a company that provides comparisons of travel insurance from major U.S. providers), said. "So once something is considered 'foreseen' — in this case, when a tropical storm or hurricane has been named — you can no longer get coverage for that storm."

"Trip cancellation and trip interruption will reimburse lost or unused prepaid, nonrefundable expenses due to a hurricane making it impossible to get to your destination," Stan Sandberg, cofounder of TravelInsurance.com, said. "Many plans will also provide coverage if there is a mandatory evacuation at the destination. A few plans will even provide coverage in the event there is a NOAA hurricane warning at your destination during your trip dates."

Trip delay coverage will reimburse you for unexpected travel costs such as food, transportation, internet service and lodging when your flight is delayed for an extended period of time.

"Remember that your credit card won't cover anything not purchased on that card," Hummer said, regarding trip insurance that's part of a credit card's benefits. "So, if you haven't paid for your whole trip with that card or other people in your group used another payment method, you won't be fully covered."

TPG has a comprehensive guide on credit cards that include trip cancellation and interruption insurance, and what might be covered in a natural disaster.

Bottom line

Hurricane Milton is currently heading to Florida's west coast and may make landfall as an incredibly forceful Category 5 storm. It's arriving just two weeks after Hurricane Helene, which brought unprecedented rain to the Tampa and Sarasota areas that are once again in the direct path of the storm.

If you have plans to travel to the area, it may be prudent to delay or cancel your plans until a future date.

For more helpful tips on navigating travel during hurricane season, read:

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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