Florida braces for ‘life-threatening’ hurricane
Tropical storm Idalia has officially become a Florida hurricane.
It intensified en route toward Florida’s Gulf coast, and could make landfall early Wednesday.
The National Hurricane Center issued warnings of life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force winds in an area including Tampa Bay.
NHC predicts wind speeds of 80-120 mph as it approaches Florida.
A storm watch was also in effect for the lower Florida Keys.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency across 46 counties, covering the northern half of the state coast to coast.
The National Guard has been mobilized and the White house has released emergency funding.
The Florida hurricane is grounding flights with Tampa International Airport and St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport set to close today.
The Sunrail commuter rail service in Orlando is suspended.
DeSantis warned Idalia could become a Category 3 hurricane.
DeSantis said tolls on highways in the Tampa area will be waived to help motorists flee affected areas in time.
Evacuation notices have been issued in parts of 21 counties with mandatory orders in eight counties.
These are mostly low-lying areas near the coast.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt