When the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) earlier this year predicted an above-average 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, it was hard to imagine the one-two punch of Hurricanes Helene and Milton that would strike much of Florida’s Gulf Coast during a recent two-week span.
Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region on September 26 as a Category 4 storm before devastating states to the north (including, most notably, western North Carolina) as one of the deadliest hurricanes in the United States in the past 50 years.
Less than two weeks later, on October 9, Category 3 Hurricane Milton directly targeted the Sarasota area, just south of Tampa Bay, as what’s predicted to be one of the costliest storms on record.
While insured losses are already mounting well into the billions of dollars, the storms’ human toll—from livelihoods and lives lost, homes flooded, families displaced, and kids out of school for days on end in many places—is impossible to quantify.
On its way to landfall in Perry, Florida, where residents were still reeling from Hurricane Idalia in 2023, Hurricane Helene passed north of Tampa Bay, some 100 miles offshore from the metropolitan area, yet caused widespread flooding in businesses and residences in St. Petersburg and Tampa as well as in barrier island beach communities popular with tourists.
While those communities were still piling debris on curbs and cutting drywall from their flooded homes, Hurricane Milton directly hit the Tampa Bay area, causing mass evacuations, chaos on the highways, and gas shortages before ultimately making landfall to the south on Siesta Key, near Sarasota, and continuing its rampage across the state.
Deadly tornadoes spawned by that storm caused fatalities and affected areas such as St. Lucie County and Palm Beach County on Florida’s east coast, with a total of at least 24 confirmed deaths now tallied in Milton’s wake, according to reports.
As I sit in my miraculously unscathed townhouse in a Zone A evacuation and flood zone in South Tampa, one week after the storm (and a few days since returning home), my kids are preparing their backpacks for school tomorrow after eight days of canceled classes in our county.
For the most part, gas stations no longer have lines, and grocery stores are fairly well stocked again. I feel lucky for my unbelievably good fortune, but there is evidence of the storms’ dire impacts all around me. Houses burned to the ground during electrical fires on the blocks parallel to mine (one in each hurricane), and waterlogged couches, mattresses, desks, and kids’ toys still lay piled outside homes that flooded during Helene, now embellished with another layer of the omnipresent landscaping and tree debris from Milton’s punishing winds. It feels like a metaphor for this entire stretch of Florida’s Gulf Coast right now—one block can look almost normal, save for some downed branches, while nearby pure chaos has reigned.
Given the complexity and ferocity of these back-to-back natural disasters, here’s what travelers with upcoming plans to visit Florida should know.
Are all airports and flights in Florida currently up and running?
Florida’s major airports quickly reopened following Hurricane Helene. Following thousands of flight cancellations leading up to Milton’s Wednesday landfall and Thursday push east, across the state, Tampa International Airport (TPA) and Orlando International Airport (MCO) had resumed commercial passenger operations by Friday, October 11. Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers also resumed operations on October 11.
Tampa’s airport was back to a full schedule of roughly 500 flights in and out of Tampa Bay on Monday, October 14.
During Hurricane Milton, Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) sustained damage to the roof of a terminal that had to be repaired; the airport didn’t resume operations until Wednesday, October 16, a week after Milton made landfall.
How were Florida’s theme parks, including Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando, affected?
All of Florida’s major theme parks in the path of Hurricane Milton, from Tampa to Orlando, had closed their doors and ceased operations by Wednesday afternoon, October 9, to protect both guests and park employees.
By Friday, October 11, Disney World’s theme parks, Universal Orlando’s theme parks, and SeaWorld Orlando had resumed operations. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay reopened on Sunday, October 13, but the Adventure Island water park remains closed.
Legoland Florida Resort, Peppa Pig Theme Park Florida, and Legoland Florida Water Park all reopened on Friday, October 11.
The parks have not reported any major damages related to the storms.
Are there places that travelers should avoid?
“After surveying our destination partners earlier this week, the destinations that are still in recovery and are expecting to welcome back visitors in one to four weeks are Charlotte, Sarasota, Hernando, and Suwannee counties. Destinations that are anticipating welcoming back visitors in five to eight weeks include Dixie and Manatee Counties,” Visit Florida said in a statement released this week.
Iconic Gulf Coast hotels, such as the Don CeSar in St. Pete Beach, remain closed, as do mom-and-pop inns and historic properties in places such as Longboat Key and Anna Maria Island. On the latter, the historic Rod and Reel Pier, an island icon since 1947, was damaged during Helene and washed away almost entirely during Milton.
While coastal areas recover, it’s important to note that inland areas and attractions—even in hard-hit places Pinellas County, Sarasota County, Hillsborough County, and Manatee County—have reopened, including Emerson Point and Robinson Preserves.
“Thankfully, with Milton, we didn’t see the same level of storm surge that we did with Helene. However, Milton brought a lot of rain and strong wind, which created a second wave of impact around the destination,” a spokesperson with Visit St. Pete–Clearwater told Afar, adding that tourism is the area’s main economic driver and the community is working hard to welcome visitors back.
“People have undoubtedly seen images and videos in the news of the results of the hurricanes’ impact, but these images are not reflective of the entirety of the destination,” the spokesperson said. “While our award-winning beaches need just a little more time to fully recover, we have many incredible experiences open and ready to welcome visitors.”
Keep in mind, too, that hotels open in and around affected areas are likely experiencing higher occupancy rates than normal right now due to displaced residents and visiting linemen working to restore power, which remains out in some areas.
What areas of Florida are safe and available for visitors who still want to go?
Florida has more than 1,800 miles of golden, sugar, and powder-fine sand stretching along its coastline, from the Florida Keys in the south along the Gulf Coast to Alabama and up to the Georgia border in the state’s northeast reaches.
The bulk of Florida’s beaches and coastline—in particular along the Panhandle, the east coast, Southwest Florida’s Naples and Marco Island, and the Florida Keys—was largely unaffected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Most of the state’s inland spots of exceptional beauty, including state parks, national forests, springs, rivers, and lakes, were unaffected as well.
Visit Florida, the state’s tourism bureau, launched a campaign on Monday, October 14, to relay the message that many places across the state are open and welcoming tourists as usual.
“Visitors can still enjoy the sunshine, beautiful beaches, and countless adventures that Florida is known for in many destinations across the state,” Visit Florida President and CEO Dana Young said in an official statement distributed this week. “We encourage travelers to explore these areas and to plan to return to recovering destinations once they are ready to welcome visitors again. As assessments continue and recovery efforts progress, we encourage visitors to stay informed by monitoring the news and checking directly with accommodations for updates or closures.”
Fort Lauderdale and Miami
Indeed, popular South Florida destinations, including Fort Lauderdale and Miami, were not in the path of either hurricane.
“While certain areas of Florida are still recovering, we want to reassure travelers that Miami and Miami Beach remain safe and open for visitors,” said David Whitaker, president and CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Miami’s hotels, restaurants, attractions, and beaches are ready to welcome guests once again. Tourism plays a vital role in our local economy, and by visiting now, you’re not only enjoying everything Miami has to offer but also helping us continue our path to recovery.”
Tampa Bay
While many residential areas around the Tampa Bay area are still struggling to recover after flooding and other damage, the city’s downtown corridor and major attractions, such as the Florida Aquarium, ZooTampa at Lowry Park, and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, are welcoming visitors.
“We’ve got lots of friends up and down the west coast of Florida that are still reeling, and all of our tourism assets here in Hillsborough County are intact, so we have a responsibility to help continue with that economy, as well as being sensitive about what our all our friends are going through,” said Santiago Corrada, president and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay.
Fort Myers
Tamara Pigott, executive director of Visit Fort Myers, said that the reopening of local businesses and beaches is underway as the area works to assess the damage and determine hotel availability. In the meantime, visitors to the area should check with their individual accommodations for the latest information on availability, she said.
The majority of resorts, hotels, restaurants, and attractions are open and welcoming guests in Naples, Marco Island, and the Everglades, according to Jay Tusa of the Paradise Coast CVB.
Florida Keys and Key West
Elsewhere in the state, the Florida Keys and Key West are open to visitors, with tourism infrastructure fully intact throughout the 125-mile-long island chain after Hurricane Milton’s outer bands brushed past the Keys last week, according to Kara Franker, president and CEO of the Florida Keys & Key West Tourism Council.
“Being mindful of the impacts on Floridians, we want to let potential visitors know that the Florida Keys & Key West are unaffected and open for business including Key West and Marathon airports, state parks, accommodations, attractions and so much more,” Franker told Afar.
Key West’s Fantasy Fest is on schedule to begin October 18 and continue through Sunday, October 27, she said.
As someone who has lived in Florida for more than half of my life—currently in the city of Tampa, where I’m reporting from now—and has recently talked to friends from Fort Lauderdale and Jacksonville to Key West, Destin, and Pensacola, I can attest that in many, many places in the state, life is operating as normal, and tourism dollars will be as appreciated as visitors appreciate our warm sunshine and beautiful beaches.
How can travelers help?
World Central Kitchen
José Andrés’s World Central Kitchen is on the ground and providing meals to affected communities in Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. You can donate directly through the website.
Metropolitan Ministries
Targeting affected families and individuals across the Tampa Bay area, Metropolitan Ministries is collecting donations to provide post-storm shelter, meals, water, and more for the many displaced people in the region.
The Center of Anna Maria Island
The Center of Anna Maria Island is collecting donations to support Gulf Barrier Island hospitality workers.
Feeding Tampa Bay
Feeding Tampa Bay is accepting donations and volunteers to provide free meals for victims of Hurricane Milton.
Shuckin’ Good Cause
Shuckin’ Good Cause is collecting financial contributions to benefit Manatee County hospitality workers in need.
Pinellas Community Foundation
Pinellas Community Foundation launched the We Are St. Pete fund, the first of its kind for the city. The funds will go toward disaster relief for residents, small businesses, and City of St. Petersburg employees recovering from Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
