The Canadian government has advised citizens to avoid non-essential travel to the Florida peninsula as Hurricane Milton barrels down on the west coast.
In an Oct. 8
advisory, Ottawa urged Canadians to avoid areas on the west coast of Florida, from Chokoloskee to the Suwanee River, Tampa Bay, Lake Okeechobee, and the Dry Tortugas. Travellers are also urged to avoid parts of the east coast, from Palm Beach/Martin County Line to the mouth of the St. Mary’s River, and any inland areas between the affected coastlines.
Milton is expected to hit Florida between Oct. 9 and 10, the advisory said. It was
downgraded from a Category 5 storm to a Category 3 on Oct. 9.
“The storm is likely to bring excessive rainfall and violent winds. It may cause flash flooding and landslides,” the government advisory said.
Essential services could be disrupted by the storm, including transportation, power, telecommunications, water and food supplies, emergency services, and medical care.
Canadians caught in the Florida peninsula were advised to be cautious, follow the instructions of local authorities, and monitor local news and weather reports.
Hurricane Milton comes just two weeks after Hurricane Helene hit the Gulf Coast of the state, causing significant damage to buildings and infrastructure.
Flight Cancellations
Air Canada said it is allowing the rebooking of flights for customers who have been affected.“We are offering a flexible rebooking policy in response to Hurricane Milton & have cancelled flights to Fort Meyers, Orlando & Tampa from today until Friday,” the company said in an Oct. 9
post on the X platform. “We plan to add more than 1,100 seats after the storm to give customers travel options.”
WestJet has also offered to accommodate travellers who were booked on flights that have been cancelled due to the storm, including those travelling to or from Florida and the Bahamas.
The company
said it would offer customers a $0 one-time fee waiver for changes or cancellations on travel to or from the Bahamas booked for Oct. 10 or 11 and for flights to and from Florida between Oct. 9 to Oct. 12.
At least seven tornados hit part of Florida as Milton grew closer on Oct. 9. A total of 53 tornado warnings had been issued by 3 p.m. ET. The storm is expected to pack winds of up to 120 m.p.h. (195 km/h).
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
