Tampa airport prepares for potential impact of Hurricane Ian

As Hurricane Ian lashes western Cuba this Monday (26) evening and as its path is projected to advance along the west coast of Florida, Tampa International Airport (TPA) indicated that they are continuing to operate normally but are preparing for the potential impact of the storm.

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In the next 24 to 48 hours Tampa airport could close some of its sectors as wind speeds increase and the weather becomes more severe.

As detailed through a statement, with sustained winds of 40 mph, activity at TPA will be minimal, closing or reducing airside shuttle frequencies and SkyConnect. But with sustained winds of 50 mph, all operations will be stop.

«While TPA is in an evacuation zone, as critical infrastructure, the Airport is exempt from the storm evacuation order and will stay open until a closure is necessary,» stated TPA.

«The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, which operates TPA and three General Aviation airports, remains in close coordination with the National Weather Service, our airlines and other airport partners, and will give travelers and the community as much notice as possible when that determination is made,» they added.

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TPA also reminded that the airport is not a shelter and does not have the resources to shelter people or vehicles during a storm. To access a list of shelters visit https://hcflgov.net/staysafe.

Passengers are advised to be alert to information they receive from airlines regarding the status of their flights.

At the time of this publication (7:39 PM UTC), the latest information from the U.S. National Hurricane Center indicates that winds could be arriving in the Tampa area during the afternoon of Tuesday, September 27.

The tropical storm force winds forecast indicates a greater than 80% probability for the area.

According to information gathered by Aviacionline through Cirium, between Tuesday and Wednesday there are more than 700 flights scheduled at Tampa International Airport, so if activities are halted, and depending on the duration, around 100 thousand passengers could be affected.