Hurricane Milton: Florida airports begin to close

Hurricane Milton is barreling toward the west coast of Florida close at Cat 5 strength described as ‘life threatening.’

It is expected to make landfall Wednesday night probably as a Cat 3, although it is growing in size, meaning a far wider area will be affected.

“On Wednesday, at 8 am, commercial operations will cease. We’ll continue to monitor the hurricane’s path and we’ll post updates as they become available,” Orlando Airport said in a social media update.

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport will close after the last flight on Tuesday and could stay closed until Friday.

“The airport is in a mandatory evacuation zone and is not a public shelter,” it said in a post on X.

In the southeast of the state both Miami International and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood remain open but they advised travelers to confirm flight status with their airlines.

Palm Beach International and Jacksonville International Airports also advised passengers to check flight updates.

Overall, there have been at least 1,500 confirmed flight cancellations by midday Tuesday.