As Florida ordered evacuations along the Gulf Coast, the area’s residents and visitors weighed escapes to South Florida on Monday as Hurricane Milton barreled toward the state’s western shorelines at Category 5 strength.
Ahead of the storm, travel options quickly narrowed to road trips as airports serving the Orlando, Tampa and St. Pete-Clearwater areas said they would soon suspend services. In the meantime, thousands of motorists jammed roadways leading out of the Tampa Bay area, according to the Tampa Bay Times, literally heeding advice from Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Deanne Criswell to “get out.”
Brightline, the high-speed rail service between Orlando International Airport and Miami, will be closed between West Palm Beach and Orlando on Wednesday and Thursday, a spokesman said. Service between all South Florida stations is expected to continue with 14 round-trips both days.
“We will resume full operations after an assessment of track conditions once the storm has passed,” said the spokesman, Ben Porritt. “Passengers who currently have a reservation should refer to their email for updates to their trip.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended tolls across Central Florida and West Florida, as well as Alligator Alley.
“By suspending tolls in the impacted area, Floridians and visitors will be better able to quickly and safely evacuate if and when directed by local officials,” the governor’s office said in a statement. A seven-day waiver of tolls started at 10:30 a.m. on Monday.
Evacuation assistance for Florida residents who need extra help can be found by calling 800-729-3413, said Kevin Guthrie, head of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. State officials recommend getting updates at floridadisaster.org.
Evacuations were ordered Monday in Pinellas, Manatee, Lee, Sarasota, Hernando, Pasco, Hillsborough, Charlotte and Collier counties.
Hotels reaching out
Hotels in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties are likely to see a bookings lift in what is normally a mundane early October period, said Peter Ricci, director of the department of marketing and hospitality management at Florida Atlantic University.
“I started calling (South Florida) hotels yesterday to tell them to reach out to Visit Tampa and St. Pete to put their listings on their websites as a place to evacuate,” he said “There will definitely be a boost in hotel demand. Whether it is significant or not depends on whether Orlando can absorb” the traffic.
“Maybe people will see we’re not in the red zone and come down here instead,” Ricci said. “Personally I would not want to go Orlando if I live in Tampa.”
The sprawling 1,000-room Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood advertised what a spokesman called a “confirmed rate” of $253 nightly including parking and resort fees.
Ricci said he expected prices would remain reasonable, although they are likely to rise because of sudden demand.
“They don’t want to be accused of gouging,” Ricci said. “Hotels are very cognizant not to do that. I don’t think they would push rates that significantly.”
He added: “I think you will see rates go up a little bit over last week.”
Through sponsored links by Visit Florida, the state’s tourism promotion agency, travelers can find hotel availability sources via priceline.com and booking.com.
But if the storm metes out a level of destruction that will wipe out large swaths of homes, it was not entirely clear what the lodging industry can do over the longer term.
A spokesman for B Ocean Resort Fort Lauderdale Beach, which says it is offering a “Neighbor Relief Special” for short-term stays through Friday, said there are other options for extended discount stays.
Another factor affecting hotel availabilities: the three Taylor Swift concerts that are booked for Oct. 18-20 at the Hard Rock Stadium in northern Miami-Dade County. A strong majority of region’s rooms have been booked for months.
Airports suspending services
The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority said Orlando International Airport and Orlando Executive Airport will cease commercial passenger and private operations in advance of Milton.
“The airport is not closed and will remain open to accept emergency/aid and relief flights as necessary,” the authority said in a social media post. “We will resume commercial operations as soon as possible based on damage assessment.”
The authority also emphasized the international airport is not a “authorized shelter” and “cannot accommodate local residents during severe weather events.”
At Tampa International, all commercial and cargo operations beginning at 9 a.m. on Tuesday will halt “with the airport remaining closed to the public until it can assess any damage after the storm,” the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority said on its website..
St. Pete-Clearwater-International Airport will close the the after last flight departs Tuesday, the airport said in a note atop its website. “All flights cancelled Wednesday and Thursday.”
Naples Airport said its hangars will be locked at noon Tuesday. “Now is the time to relocate aircraft and make preparations,” the airport said on its website.
Southwest Florida International Airport, which serves the Fort Myers area, said it was taking a wait-and-see approach. “We do not know yet what impacts weather will have on flights later this week,” the airport’s website said early Monday.
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