Florida is bracing for Hurricane Milton as it barrels toward the state’s Gulf Coast. Airlines have canceled 2,400 flights so far on Wednesday in preparation for the storm, according to FlightAware.
Major airports throughout the state have halted operations completely, including Tampa International Airport, which shut down on Tuesday morning. Orlando International Airport remains open but has paused all commercial operations.
Sarasota Bradenton International Airport also closed on Tuesday afternoon.
‘Batten Down the Hatches’
Tampa is among the cities set to be hit the hardest by Milton. The city’s main airport — the state’s fourth-busiest — shut down early to prepare facilities for the storm. John Tiliacos, the airport’s executive vice president of airport operations, said this process takes up to 24 hours.
“Our team has been planning and executing all of the preparation that we need to take for Hurricane Milton’s arrival,” Tiliacos said during a press conference.
In a Facebook post, the airport said its team has been working around the clock to “batten down the hatches.” The airport has 58 jet bridges, each of which needs to be chained down, which can take around an hour each to complete.
Aircraft and other airfield equipment also need to be secured in advance of the storm.
“Tampa International Airport is extremely close to Tampa Bay and storm surge and flooding are a top concern for us. … [I]f you consider that we may potentially face 10 to 15 feet of storm surge, we are talking about a lot of water that will find its way onto the airport,” Tiliacos added.
The airport says it will reopen after a damage assessment is conducted.
Roughly 85 miles away, Orlando International Airport says it is also preparing for the storm, securing jet bridges and sand-bagging doors.
