Florida braces for impact as Hurricane Milton approaches

The Sarasota government has advised visitors to avoid Lido Beach: "Lido Beach is CLOSED... Please stay off the beach and allow City staff to continue with recovery efforts in the area." Visit Florida warns of "an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge and damaging winds" on the west coast starting Tuesday night or early Wednesday.

Theme parks such as Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando are monitoring the situation but remain open for now. Legoland Florida will close on October 9-10, while Busch Gardens Tampa will close from October 8-10. SeaWorld Orlando intends to stay open.

Tampa International Airport (TPA) will close by Tuesday at 9 a.m., with reopening contingent on damage assessment. St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) will also close after its last flight departs Tuesday afternoon, canceling all flights for Wednesday and Thursday. Orlando International Airport (MCO) will halt commercial flights Wednesday morning but remain open for emergency aid flights.

Airlines servicing Florida offer travel waivers allowing travelers to change flights without fare differences for travel between October 8-10, provided new travel occurs by October 17.

For hotel reservations, guests should check cancellation policies directly with hotels or through third-party booking agencies like Expedia or Travelocity. Some companies have previously waived cancellation fees following Hurricane Helene.

Cruise passengers departing from Florida should review their cruise line's policies regarding cancellations or itinerary changes due to potential disruptions at Port Canaveral and Port Tampa Bay.

Travel insurance purchased before Hurricane Milton was named may cover expenses related to trip interruptions or cancellations caused by the storm. Jenna Hummer from Squaremouth notes that once a storm is named, it becomes a "foreseen" event not covered by new insurance policies.

Stan Sandberg from TravelInsurance.com advises that many plans provide coverage if there is a mandatory evacuation or NOAA hurricane warning during your trip dates. Trip delay coverage can reimburse unexpected costs incurred during extended delays.

Credit card benefits may include trip cancellation insurance but typically only cover purchases made with that card, as noted by Hummer: "Remember that your credit card won't cover anything not purchased on that card."

Hurricane Milton poses significant risks as it approaches Florida's west coast just two weeks after Hurricane Helene impacted the same region with heavy rainfall.