Editor’s note: This post has been updated with new information.
Forecasters upgraded Hurricane Ian to a Category 4 storm Wednesday morning, with sustained winds expected up to 155 miles per hour, the National Hurricane Center announced at 8 a.m. That’s just below a Category 5 hurricane.
“The storm is here. It is imminent,” said Florida Divison of Emergency Management director Kevin Guthrie in an early morning briefing. He suggested state officials were “preparing and are expecting a Cat 5.”
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In a briefing this morning, Florida Governor Ron Desantis said the storm is expected to make landfall in Charlotte County, Florida, calling it “life-threatening.” The governor also said that it was no longer safe to evacuate and that residents should “hunker down,” and take shelter. Charlotte County is just north of Fort Myers.
Emergency officials in Florida have urged those throughout the state to be on alert, with DeSantis urging residents to check this site for advice.
As you can imagine, it’s creating a severe impact on travel already. There have already been nearly 2,000 flights into or within the United States canceled today, according to Flight Aware, including 17% of American Airlines flights.
Tampa International Airport (TPA) suspended its operations at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
As of Wednesday morning, TPA and St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) are both closed, while Orlando International Airport (MCO) is closing this morning as well. Area theme parks, including Disney World, have also announced storm-related closures.
While the National Hurricane Center warned storm surge will be pronounced along Florida’s Gulf Coast, flooding from the heavy rain is expected in Central Florida too, forecasters warned.
Airlines issued and expanded travel alerts ahead of the storm, allowing even those with normally unchangeable tickets to alter their itineraries to avoid or leave unsafe areas.
Over the weekend, President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency for Florida ahead of the storm, with emergency management officials urging residents to begin preparations.
Related: Florida airports announce hurricane-related closures
Flights to be disrupted by Hurricane Ian
In addition to the announced airport closures, other flights to and from the region can be impacted, too.
Most of the major U.S. airlines flying to Florida — including the nation’s four largest, American, Delta, Southwest and United — have issued travel alerts for destinations most likely to be affected by Ian. The alerts include Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands, Jamaica and airports across Florida.
The three legacy U.S. carriers already have, as a general policy, waived change fees on domestic flights and those originating in the U.S. and in many cases the Caribbean — excluding basic economy tickets. However, during a travel alert, even those with basic economy tickets can change their itineraries if their travel plans fall under the alert.
Other carriers serving Florida— including Spirit, Frontier and Allegiant — also issued waivers.
Be sure to check the specific terms of the airline’s alert so you’ll know your deadline for both rebooking and beginning your travels.
“All of these airports may see flight delays related to these weather conditions,” Chris Citrola of the Federal Aviation Administration said in a video posted to social media Monday, regarding Ian’s effects on air operations in Florida.
“We’ll be continually watching that very closely to make sure we’re doing the best we can for keeping everybody safe and out of those airports when that impact does happen,” Citrola added.
The FAA is encouraging those with air travel plans in the coming days to be in close touch with their airline. For that reason, it’s a good idea to make sure you’re quite familiar with your airline’s app.
Delta warned that weather conditions in Florida could disrupt air travel out of the Northeast; there are, of course, many flights between Florida and key Northeast destinations like New York and Boston, and flight disruptions in Florida can easily ripple into other parts of the U.S.
Allegiant has bases in Sarasota and St. Petersburg in Florida and could see additional disruptions over the coming days.
Air, sea and space logistics affected
As residents and visitors in the western Caribbean and Florida prepare for the effects of Ian, the impending bad weather is affecting a variety of air, sea and space operations in Florida.
While initial forecasts appear to suggest the storm is more likely to have a major impact on Florida’s Gulf Coast, along the state’s Space Coast, NASA announced over the weekend it will not move forward with its next launch attempt for Artemis I, the twice-scrubbed unmanned mission to the moon.
After mechanical issues marred a Labor Day weekend launch attempt, NASA had been eyeing a potential Sept. 27 launch. It’s unclear when the next launch attempt may happen.
At TPA, the shutdown of operations is designed, airport officials said, to allow staff to prepare the airfield and terminals, as well as to secure jet bridges, ground equipment and remaining aircraft still on the ground. Terminals and parking garages will be closed.
Already preparing for what effects Ian might bring, airport officials said damage assessments following the storm will begin as soon as it’s safe and noted they will coordinate the airport’s reopening with partners “based on roadway safety, facility readiness, and staffing.”
Meanwhile, MCO will cease operations at 10:30 a.m. today.
Additionally, the airport is holding off on some planned changes sparked by the opening of its new Terminal C, airport officials announced. Namely, the airport is postponing JetBlue and Caribbean Airlines’ move to the new terminal because of uncertainty over what operations might look like over the next several days.
St. Pete-Clearwater International Airpot is also closed and will remain so until the evacuation order for Pinellas County is lifted.
Cruise line issues
Cruise lines on Tuesday began canceling and delaying close-in departures of ships out of Central Florida ports as Ian bore down on the region.
Norwegian Cruise Line was the first major line to announce the cancellation of an entire voyage, saying late in the day that it had called off Thursday’s departure of the 3,963-passenger Norwegian Getaway out of Port Canaveral. Soon after, Carnival Cruise Line canceled sailings out of Tampa and Jacksonville scheduled for Thursday on the 2,502-passenger Carnival Paradise and 2,502-passenger Carnival Elation, respectively.
In addition, Disney Cruise Line has told passengers on the 2,508-passenger Disney Wish that the ship could be delayed returning to Port Canaveral on Friday. If the ship is delayed returning, the subsequent departure of the vessel also could be delayed. The cancellations and delays came as the cruise ports in Tampa, Port Canaveral and Jacksonville began shutting down due to the approach of Ian.
As of 8 a.m. EDT Tuesday, Port Tampa Bay was closed to all marine traffic, including cruise ships, with the anticipation that gale force winds (34-47 knots) from Hurricane Ian would arrive soon.
The ports of Port Canaveral and Jacksonville are expected to close to marine traffic by Wednesday for the same reason. The closures could cause more delays and disruptions to cruise departures in the coming days. A dozen cruise ships, including some of the biggest in the world, are based at the three ports.
Related: The latest on cruise ship cancellations, delays
Theme park closures
If you have plans to visit one of Central Florida’s theme parks this week (or are already there), you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the park’s hurricane policy.
Most parks will waive change or cancellation fees if a hurricane or tropical storm warning is issued for the area (or your place of residence), but each park handles things a bit differently.
The following theme parks have announced closures due to being in the projected path of Hurricane Ian:
- Disney World will close on Wednesday, Sept. 28, and Thursday, Sept. 29.
- Universal Orlando, including CityWalk, will close on Wednesday, Sept. 28, and Thursday, Sept. 29.
- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay will close Tuesday, Sept. 27, through Thursday, Sept. 28.
- Aquatica Orlando and Discovery Cove will close Wednesday, Sept. 28, and Thursday, Sept. 29.
- SeaWorld Orlando Orlando will close Wednesday, Sept. 28, and Thursday, Sept. 29.
- Peppa Pig Theme Park will close Wednesday, Sept. 28, and Thursday, Sept. 29.
- Legoland Florida will close Wednesday, Sept. 28, and Thursday, Sept. 29.
Related: Here’s what happens when a hurricane comes to Disney World
Canceling a trip and travel insurance
If you’re considering traveling to a destination that may potentially be affected in the coming days, there are important questions to consider, as TPG discussed with a meteorologist while Hurricane Fiona gained strength:
- If you’re currently at a destination that may be affected by the storm system, what type of backup travel arrangements might you need if you want to leave earlier than planned?
- If you have a trip to the potentially affected region planned in the coming days, do you have a travel insurance policy that you purchased prior to the storm being named, and what are the terms? How long do you have to decide whether to cancel? (Once a storm is named, it’s generally too late to buy a policy that will cover your expenses.)
Answering these questions with an eye on advance planning can be critical both to your safety as you travel and in protecting the investment you’ve made in a trip.
Bottom line
Hurricane Ian is already disrupting travel, but the effects are expected to grow in the coming days as it intensifies and approaches landfall. This will be a catastrophic storm, and the impact will likely be felt for weeks or even months.
As residents and those across the state prepare for impact, now is the time to be looking ahead, whether you’re planning to travel to an area that might be affected or looking to end your trip early in an area that is in the path of the storm.
Additional reporting by Clint Henderson, Caroline Tanner, Tarah Chieffi and Summer Hull.
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