Evacuations are in progress as Hurricane Milton nears the Florida coast.
There are only a few cancellations at Logan Airport on Tuesday morning, but with Florida airports preparing to close ahead of Hurricane Milton’s landfall, many travelers are heading to family and friends elsewhere, including Boston.
St. Petersburg-Clearwater International, Southwest Florida International, and Tampa International Airports will close later Tuesday, with Orlando set to close Wednesday morning.
With the devastation from Hurricane Helene still affecting the Southeast, Floridians received warnings this week to evacuate before Hurricane Milton’s expected landfall late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.
Emergency officials urged residents to leave immediately, warning that survival would be unlikely if Milton strikes with the anticipated intensity.
Several evacuees arriving at Logan Airport expressed fear they wouldn’t make it out in time.
“I’m so glad I got out. It was terrifying,” said Olivia Crandall. “I was checking in, and they said, ‘We’re closed tomorrow.’ It was shocking and really scary.”
“This was pretty stressful trying to change everything, but we’re fortunate to have switched the flight from Thursday morning,” said Laura Dougnac-Smogard. “There’s no way we could have left this morning, so we just shuttered the house and hoped for the best.”
“I spoke with a few people who stayed behind, and they’re really scared it’ll be worse than Helene,” added Nick Kotsifas, who flew out of Sarasota. “They’ve upgraded it to a Category 5, and flights have already been canceled.”
The storm was downgraded to a Category 4 early Tuesday, but officials warn it still poses a “serious threat.”
“All the gas pumps were nearly empty last night, especially in the Fort Myers area, but grocery stores were still stocked with food and water, so things felt somewhat normal,” said Bill Watson, who flew out of Fort Myers. “But I’m sure it’ll get crazier tomorrow and the next day.”
Cancellations and delays at Logan are expected to increase as the day progresses.
Image Credits: Hurricane Milton
