Tampa International Airport officials have announced that the travel hub will be closed Tuesday ahead of the arrival of Tropical Storm Idalia, which is gathering hurricane level strength.
While a Cayman Airways spokesperson said the closure does not impact any of the national flag carrier’s flights at this time since the next Tampa flight is not until Thursday, officials are keeping watch of the situation with the storm projected to become a hurricane.
“There are no changes to our operations at this time. However, we’re continuing to monitor the situation and will update the travelling public if or when schedule changes become necessary,” the spokesperson said.
John Tiliacos, executive vice president of operations and customer service at Tampa International Airport, speaking at a press conference Monday, said all commercial operations will be suspended beginning at 12:01am and the airport will remain closed until it can assess any damages later in the week.
“The Airport anticipates reopening Thursday morning, with damage assessments beginning after the storm passes. [Tampa International Airport] will closely coordinate the reopening of the Airport with its partners based on roadway safety, facility readiness and staffing. Any changes to the timing will be promptly communicated,” a statement from the airport said.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami, in its 5pm advisory, said Idalia is moving toward the north near 8 mph. A northward motion is expected through Monday night, followed by a faster north-northeast motion on Tuesday and Wednesday.
On the forecast track, the centre of Idalia is forecast to pass near or over western Cuba Monday night, over the eastern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, and reach the Gulf Coast of Florida within the hurricane warning area on Wednesday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 70 mph with higher gusts. Rapid strengthening is predicted during the next day or so. Idalia is forecast to become a hurricane Monday and become a major hurricane by late Tuesday.
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