Tampa International Airport plans to reopen to the public Friday morning after being closed for three hours due to Hurricane Milton, according to the airport in a statement Thursday.
“The extreme wind gusts and heavy rain from the Category 3 storm impacted several areas of the airport that will require repairs,” Tampa International Airport stated.
“Airport partners are also evaluating staffing levels following one of the largest vacancy events in Tampa Bay’s recent history,” he added.
Tampa International Airport is currently closed to the public while crews work to clean up debris and repair damage. The reopening is scheduled for Friday, at 8 am local time.
Six boarding bridges were damaged during the storm, and the airport’s fuel depot is running on a generator after losing power. No aircraft damage was reported, but the organization that provides aviation support services “has some significant structural damage,” the airport added.
There were nearly 2,300 flight cancellations across the United States on Thursday, including most flights leaving Tampa, Orlando and Ft. Myers, Florida, according to data from the specialized website FlightAware.
Milton is no longer a hurricane, according to the latest update from the National Hurricane Center.
Despite still having hurricane-force sustained winds of 121 km/h, Milton lost its tropical characteristics and merged with a cold front extending across the western Atlantic and is now considered a post-tropical cyclone.
Hurricane Milton leaves deaths and destruction
Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida, as a dangerous Category 3 storm, generating strong winds and rain, as well as flooding and tornadoes.
It weakened to Category 1 as it crossed the state and moved offshore, according to the US National Hurricane Center.
Still, the storm left a trail of destruction, roofing houses, knocking down trees, poles and a crane.
Twelve people died after the hurricane hit, according to authorities.
Milton is the third hurricane to hit Florida this year, leaving more than 3 million people without power in the state. Wind gusts of 100 mph were recorded near Tampa.
This content was originally published in Tampa International Airport plans to reopen on Friday morning (11) on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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