by Donald Wood
Last updated: 9:05 AM ET, Tue August 29, 2023
Update: August 31, 2023 at 8:25 a.m. ET
Idalia has weakened to a tropical storm after making landfall
along Florida's Gulf Coast Wednesday morning as a major hurricane. The storm is
dumping heavy rain into eastern North Carolina and southeast Virginia, along
with concerns about storm surge, tornadoes and gusty winds through Thursday.
According to Weather.com,
Idalia is expected to move away from the Carolinas on Thursday afternoon, before
heading out to the Atlantic. The storm could also impact Bermuda during Labor
Day weekend.
According to FlightAware.com, more
than 160 flights within, into or out of the United States have been canceled
and another 614 have been delayed, as of 8:15 a.m. ET on Thursday. Yesterday, 1,110
flights were canceled and over 4,891 were delayed.
Tampa International Airport was among the airports that
closed temporarily due to the storm system, but operations resumed on Thursday
morning. Cruise lines also resumed standard itineraries throughout the Caribbean,
but are keeping an eye on the path of Idalia.
As for Amtrak, the rail company revealed that the Silver
Star and Silver Meteor (Miami to New York) will operate from Jacksonville to
New York to avoid the storm's ramifications.
UPDATE: August 30, 2023 at 3:17 p.m. ET
According to CNN, significant flight disruptions continue this afternoon as Hurricane Idalia sweeps across Florida and makes its way up along the Atlantic coastline.
Several airports remain closed, including St. Pete-Clearwater, Tallahassee, and Tampa, although the latter plans to reopen to inbound flights at 4:00 p.m. ET and reopen fully on Thursday. Sarasota’s airport reopened Wednesday morning, while St. Pete-Clearwater plans on reopening in the afternoon.
Affected travelers should continue to check with their airlines regarding flight status and monitor the National Airspace System Status website for updates.
Idalia is now making its presence felt as a Category 1 hurricane as it movies across Georgia and portions of the Carolinas, delivering heavy rain. At last report, the storm’s center sat about 100 miles west-southwest of Savannah, Georgia.
It looks like Southern Georgia and areas of South Carolina will suffer the worst of Idalia’s hurricane-force wind gusts and heavy rain Wednesday afternoon.
The FAA has warned of potential disruptions in Charlotte, North Carolina, one of American Airlines’ hubs, as Idalia continues tracking northeastward at about 20 mph.
Air carriers Delta, United, Southwest and JetBlue have issued advisories to passengers whose flight itineraries could potentially put them in the path of the storm, along with waivers to alter their bookings at no charge within allotted timeframes.
Thus far, Wednesday’s number of delayed flights traveling into or out of the U.S. total 2,784, with 1,042 cancellations, according to tracking website FlightAware.
On the ground, Amtrak cancelled several trains and modified some of its routes on Tuesday in preparation for the hurricane. Thus far, it has cancelled service on 12 East Coast routes for Tuesday and Wednesday, ones which either originate or terminate in the Orlando and Miami areas—namely, the Auto Train, Silver Star and Silver Meteor.
The national rail operator also shortened its Palmetto routes, which typically run from New York to Savannah, but will conclude instead in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday and Wednesday.
UPDATE: August 30, 2023 at 8:46 a.m. ET
Hurricane Idalia made landfall along Florida's Gulf Coast on
Wednesday morning, bringing with it life-threatening storm surge, destructive
winds and flooding rain.
According to Weather.com,
Idalia hit Florida as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of
125 miles per hour and is moving inland across the state toward parts of
Georgia and South and North Carolina.
The storm system is expected to continue dumping heavy rain
on the region through Thursday night, with officials warning of local flash flooding
in some areas. According to the National Hurricane Center, rainfall could reach
between 4-8 inches, with isolated amounts of 12 inches possible.
According to FlightAware.com, more
than 830 flights within, into or out of the U.S. have been canceled and another
795 have been delayed, as of 8:15 a.m. ET on Wednesday. Yesterday, 596 flights
were canceled and over 4,489 were delayed.
Airlines continue to waive
change fees for travelers flying into or out of impacted airports.
Major cruise lines such as Carnival, Celebrity, Disney and MSC
have altered itineraries sailing in the projected course of Idalia, as well as
areas impacted by Hurricane Franklin, according to Travel
Weekly.
Amtrak has also been forced to alter
schedules to avoid the flooding associated with Idalia.
Original Text
Florida is preparing for the arrival of Idalia on Wednesday,
which has strengthened into a hurricane and is expected to rapidly intensify
into a Category 3 storm by the time it makes landfall.
According to Weather.com,
Hurricane Idalia is forecast to bring life-threatening storm surge, high winds
and heavy rain to the west coast of Florida and the Florida Panhandle on
Tuesday night, with the most powerful portion of the storm expected on
Wednesday.
Government officials in Florida have issued hurricane and
tropical storm warnings, putting over 14 million people on notice. In addition,
storm surge warnings were posted for hundreds of miles of Gulf Coast shoreline.
“Buckle up for this one,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said
Monday.
After making expected landfall in Florida, the National
Hurricane Center said Idalia’s path is projected to move toward the southern
portion of Georgia and North and South Carolina on Wednesday night, bringing torrential
rains (4-8 inches), heavy rain, flooding, high winds and life-threatening storm
surge.
Regarding the storm’s impact on travel, Tampa International
Airport closed before the hurricane’s arrival, while other facilities in the
area, such as Southwest Florida International, Miami International and Orlando
International, are monitoring the situation.
Airlines have also stepped in to issue travel advisories and
waive change fees for passengers flying to or from impacted areas in Florida
and the Carolinas, including American, Delta, JetBlue, Spirit, Southwest and United.
The cruise industry has a stronghold in Florida and is also
being impacted by Idalia, with several major companies being forced to alter
itineraries and avoid destinations in the path of the hurricane. Cruise lines
making changes include Celebrity Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, MSC Cruises,
Royal Caribbean International and Virgin Voyages, according to Cruise Mapper.
As for rail travel, Amtrak is temporarily adjusting service
on select routes as a safety precaution for customers and employees. Impacted
trains include the Auto Train, Silver Star, Silver Meteor and Palmetto.
In addition, Florida’s theme parks are monitoring the
situation, with some facilities—including Busch Gardens Tampa Bay—temporarily
closing to keep tourists and employees safe.
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