florida has a right to know travel

Copyright © 2024 Department of Management Services - State of Florida

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes

Hurricane Milton's Impact on Travel Lingers as Florida Starts to Recover — What to Know About Flights, Airports, and More

Tampa, Southwest Florida, and Orlando airports have all reopened.

Getty Images

Large swaths of Florida were recovering on Friday after Hurricane Milton swept through as a major storm with airports and theme parks starting to reopen.

Milton, which made landfall late Wednesday night as a deadly Category 3 hurricane in Siesta Key and since moved on into the Atlantic Ocean, left millions without power and flooded neighborhoods, The Associated Press reported . The fierce storm, which came on the heels of Hurricane Helene , even ripped the fabric roof off of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, where the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team plays.

Florida tourism site Visit Florida has also posted resources for travelers including updates from the state's Emergency Response Team as well as openings and closures for national parks.

Airports, which had suspended operations ahead of Milton’s destruction , reopened on Friday. Tampa International Airport (TPA) waived off its first flight on Friday morning after a three day closure, but said “extreme wind gusts and heavy rainfall from the Category 3 storm impacted several areas of the airport campus that will need repairs.”

Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW), which closed Wednesday, also reopened Friday morning. And Orlando International Airport (MCO), which closed Wednesday morning, reopened to domestic arrivals on Thursday night and to both departures and international flights on Friday morning.

“The airport sustained minor damage from Hurricane Milton’s shaking winds and constant rain, including a few leaks and downed trees; however, the airport campus is structurally sound,” Orlando’s airport wrote in an update . “Crews will continue to prepare equipment and clear roadways to ensure the safety of the traveling public.”

Flight cancellations persisted into Friday morning with more than 530 flights canceled within, into, or out of the United States, according to flight tracker FlightAware . However, that pales in comparison to the more than 2,200 that were canceled on Thursday and the more than 1,900 that were canceled on Wednesday.

Several major airline flight waivers extended to the weekend or even into next week, including Delta Air Lines , United Airlines , American Airlines , Southwest , JetBlue , and Spirit Airlines . 

Major theme parks in Florida similarly reopened on Friday, including Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort .

“We’re grateful Walt Disney World Resort weathered the storm,” Disney wrote in a statement. “Our hearts are with our fellow Floridians who were impacted by this storm.”

Florida’s ports were working to recover on Friday as one of the largest destinations for cruises in the country. Both the Port of Jacksonville and Port Canaveral reopened land operations, but water operations at both ports remained closed. For its part, Port Tampa Bay said it was still assessing both its landside and seaside operations on Friday morning since “power continues to be an issue.”

Related Articles

Morning Rundown: Trump struggles to stick to a closing argument, McDonald's zeroes in on E.coli outbreak source, and scenes of devastation emerge from northern Gaza

Florida GOP legislators pass bill to shield DeSantis' travel records

Florida’s GOP-led Legislature passed a bill Tuesday to shield Gov. Ron DeSantis' travel records from public disclosure ahead of his expected 2024 presidential bid.

The bill passed in the state House along party lines in an 84-31 vote after the Senate approved it last month. It would shield public disclosure of DeSantis’ travel records "before, on, or after" the date it takes effect.

The bill notes Republican legislators’ argument that shielding DeSantis’ travel records would ensure his safety, as well as that of law enforcement agents and security personnel.

“The Legislature finds that the safety and security of persons authorized protection ... under Florida Statutes, as well as the safety and security of law enforcement agents and personnel providing the security or transportation services, outweigh any public benefit that may be derived from the disclosure of such records,” the bill’s text reads.

“Therefore, it is a public necessity that records held by a law enforcement agency relating to security or transportation services under ... Florida Statures, be exempt from public records requirements,” it says.

House Democratic Caucus Leader Fentrice Driskell decried the passage of the bill, saying DeSantis “should resign as governor and go back to being a private citizen” if he does not want his travel records to be public.

“As long as he’s in office, he should be open and honest about where he’s going, when, and who is with him. Floridians have a right to know what their governor is doing, and that includes these travel details,” Driskell said in a statement, adding that DeSantis is the first Florida governor to have made such a request.

Driskell said no Democrat supported the bill because Democrats viewed it as a “blatantly obvious” attempt by Republicans to make it easier for DeSantis to leave Florida “to raise his profile” before his expected presidential campaign announcement.

She also pointed to previous public access to the travel records of Republican former Gov. Jeb Bush, the brother of former President George W. Bush. “There have always been provisions in place to keep everyone safe, and I cannot recall anyone ever saying they weren’t enough,” she said.

DeSantis said Monday at a news conference for bill signings that he did not propose the measure, saying he believes it was “motivated by security concerns” for state officials.

“With the security situation, how you do patterns of movements if you’re somebody that is targeted — which unfortunately I am, and I get a lot of threats — that could be something that could be helpful for people that may not want to do good things,” he said. 

The GOP-controlled Legislature last week approved changes to state law that would clear the way for DeSantis to launch a presidential campaign despite the lack of a formal announcement. The provision, which was in a much larger election overhaul bill, would exempt anyone running for president or vice president from the state’s resign-to-run law.

DeSantis has traveled extensively outside Florida in advance of an expected presidential bid. He recently returned from a trip to Japan, South Korea, Israel and the United Kingdom that was funded by Enterprise Florida, a public-private state agency that focuses on attracting businesses to the state, raising questions about whether at least some taxpayer money was used to pay for the trip. 

Summer Concepcion is a politics reporter for NBC News.

• Partner Portal
• Frequently Asked Questions on Travel During Hurricane Season
• You are here:
• Crisis Preparation

Provided below are answers to questions frequently asked by visitors traveling in or with plans to travel to Florida during hurricane season. It is important to note that a direct hit to a particular destination anywhere in the state by a major hurricane is a rare event. Floridians have learned to prepare for these storms and respect their impact potential.

Florida Emergency Management and VISIT FLORIDA Information Resources

• VISIT FLORIDA travel advisories on www.VISITFLORIDA.com
• General hurricane media inquiries: media line, Florida Division of Emergency Management/State Emergency Response Team, (850) 921-0217
• Tourism-related media inquiries: [email protected]
• VISIT FLORIDA Partners and businesses in the Florida tourism industry: [email protected]
• General tourism information: VISIT FLORIDA consumer hotline, 888-735-2872

Where can I get real-time advisories for hurricanes/tropical storms? Travel advisories at www.VISITFLORIDA.com provide visitors with real-time information from local tourism officials and links to advisories from these state and national sources:

• www.nhc.noaa.gov
• www.nws.noaa.gov

What months are considered hurricane season? The Atlantic hurricane season is officially June 1 to November 30 . The peak of the season is from mid-August to mid-October.

What is a hurricane? A hurricane is a tropical cyclone with a defined circulation and sustained winds of 74 miles per hour (65 knots) or greater in the North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and the eastern North Pacific Ocean. This same tropical cyclone is known as a typhoon in the western Pacific and a cyclone in the Indian Ocean.

What is the difference between a tropical storm watch, tropical storm warning, hurricane watch and hurricane warning? The National Hurricane Center in Miami has the responsibility for monitoring and issuing watches and warnings in the Atlantic and Northeast basins. A tropical storm watch is issued when tropical storm conditions, including winds from 39-73 mph, pose a possible threat to a specified coastal area within 48 hours, and a warning when tropical storm conditions are expected within 36 hours or less. A hurricane watch is issued when hurricane conditions are expected within 48 hours, and a warning when a hurricane with sustained winds of 74 mph or higher is expected in a specified coastal area in 36 hours or less. If a warning or watch is issued, visitors should begin preliminary preparations for potential landfall and stay tuned to radio and TV for official weather and evacuation updates.

Should we cancel travel plans during hurricane season? VISIT FLORIDA clearly understands that some people have concerns about the possible impact a hurricane could have on a planned vacation. It is always wise when making travel plans during hurricane season to check with airlines, hotels, car rental companies, etc. to find out how they inform their guests when a hurricane is approaching, what actions they plan to take, and what refund policies they have in place. Once again, it is important to point out that a direct hit to any one particular destination by a major hurricane is an extremely rare event.

What do travelers do if they are in Florida and a hurricane is approaching? The safety of Florida's visitors is a priority to everyone who works in the tourism industry. VISIT FLORIDA works closely with the Florida Division of Emergency Management, local tourism offices throughout the state, as well as local, state and national media to ensure visitors have access to accurate and timely information that will help them make the most informed travel planning decisions possible. Visitors are encouraged to go to VISITFLORIDA.com to follow the latest weather and travel updates, in addition to staying tuned to local television and radio stations. If visitors are asked to evacuate from coastal areas, please follow the instructions of the emergency response officials.

How are hurricane categories determined? What do they mean? The strength of hurricanes is rated using the Saffir/Simpson scale in the United States. This scale assigns a storm to one of five categories based on its wind speed. Category one is a minimal hurricane and category five is the strongest. Using this scale helps estimate the potential property damage and expected coastal flooding from a hurricane.

Categories are determined by Maximum Sustained Winds as follows:

• Category 1. 74-95 mph
• Category 2. 96-110 mph
• Category 3. 111-130 mph
• Category 4. 131-155 mph
• Category 5. 156+ mph

What is a tropical disturbance? A tropical disturbance is an organized system of clouds and thunderstorms without a defined circulation.

What is a tropical depression? A tropical depression is an organized system of clouds and thunderstorms with a circular wind circulation and maximum sustained winds less than 39 mph.

What is a tropical storm? A tropical storm is an organized system of strong thunderstorms with defined circulation and maximum sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph.

What regions around the globe have hurricanes? Hurricanes develop over tropical or subtropical waters around the world. There are seven tropical cyclone areas (basins) where storms occur:

• Atlantic basin (North Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea)
• Northeast Pacific basin (from Mexico to the dateline)
• Northwest Pacific basin (from the dateline to Asia)
• North Indian basin (including the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea)
• Southwest India basin (Africa)
• Southeast Indian/Australian basin
• Australian/Southwest Pacific basin

What is the "eye" of the storm? What are rain bands? The hurricane's core is called the "eye." The winds closest to the eye, typically averaging about 60 miles from the center of the storm, are the strongest and bring the most potential for damage. Rain bands, or outer spiral bands, are the bands of clouds and thunderstorms that trail away from the eye wall in a spiral fashion and are capable of producing heavy bursts of rain and wind. The spiral bands also make hurricanes appear to cover a much larger area with damaging winds than they really do. This is the reason why damage during strong storms does not cover the entire area the storm passes over.

Why are hurricanes named? Who names them? The National Hurricane Center is responsible for naming tropical cyclones in the Atlantic basin. Hurricanes are named to provide ease of communication and reduce confusion between forecasters and the general public regarding forecasts, watches and warnings.

In what ways do hurricanes and tropical storms actually help Florida's environment? According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, hurricanes and tropical storms:

• Help to scrub harmful algae from coral reefs
• Prune dead limbs from trees allowing sunlight to penetrate the forest floor
• Deposit sand atop and on the backside of barrier islands, which elevates them, keeping islands from becoming a sand bar
• Moderate global temperature
• Produce rain that helps refill the aquifer
• Increases the water flow in natural springs
• Rehydrates dried out wetlands that benefit wildlife
• Downed trees are good for the scrub jays, increasing the endangered species' habitat.

Your browser is not supported for this experience. We recommend using Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari.

Find Your Favorite Beach

Atlantic Coast

Beach Camping

Family-Friendly

Places to stay.

Campgrounds

Travel Ideas

Accessible Travel

Eco-Friendly Travel

African American Heritage Travel

More Travel Ideas

Popular links.

Florida Webcams

Toll Roads Info

Travel Guides

There are no active travel safety issues., view live webcams and links to local instagram pages from all over the state here ., post-hurricane:.

For tourism industry specific information, please visit VISITFLORIDA.org/Recovery

How to help:

Disaster related volunteer opportunities: Click HERE to view volunteer opportunities

Donate to the Florida Disaster Fund : the State of Florida’s official private fund established to assist Florida’s communities as they respond to and recover during times of emergency or disaster. In partnership with the public sector, private sector and other non-governmental organizations, the Florida Disaster Fund supports response and recovery activities.

You can also register to volunteer at one of these nonprofits providing relief in Pinellas County.

Local Updates on Recovery Efforts

Sarasota County

Manatee County

St. Pete - Clearwater Updates 

• Visit  FloridaDisaster.org  for the latest on the state's response actions.
• Follow  FLSERT  on Twitter for real-time updates from the State’s Emergency Response Team.
• Florida 511  has the latest information on traffic conditions.
• Go to  Alert Florida  to sign up for emergency alerts and other public safety notifications in your community. 
• Check  The National Hurricane Center  for the latest information on any storms.
• The Expedia Emergency Accommodations Portal  
• The Priceline Emergency Accommodations Portal
• Florida Attractions Association - Attractions Status Page
• Status List of Florida's RV Parks (As of October 11, 2024)
• Florida State Parks - Current Park Closures
• To track general airport delays, visit the Federal Aviation Administration website here .

STRATEGIC ALLIANCE PARTNERS