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Airports, Hundreds of Flights Canceled as Gulf Coast Braces for Hurricane Idalia Two major Florida airports shuttered Tuesday afternoon ahead of the storm.

By Emily Rella

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

As Florida and the Gulf Coast brace for what experts say could be a "life-threatening" storm, hundreds of flights are being canceled in and out of the state as many attempt to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Idalia.

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport and Tampa International Airport shut down Tuesday afternoon ahead of the impending storm, as both are located where storm surge is expected to reach water levels up to 15 feet.

"A significant amount of water would certainly slow down our recovery and reopening and that's why it's so critical that we are suspending operations when we are," Tampa International Airport Operations Director John Tiliacos said Monday during a press conference.

Fort Myers Beach during a high tide ahead of Hurricane Idalia in Fort Myers, Florida (Getty Images)

According to FlightAware, 323 flights set to leave or arrive in Tampa were canceled for Wednesday ahead of the storm, while another 379 were canceled in and out of the airport on Tuesday.

Related: Airbnb Is Saying 'No Refunds' to Guests with Florida Reservations Due To Company's Hurricane Policy

Major airlines took to X to issue warnings to passengers who might be traveling through or near Idalia's path, including United Airlines, which said that it was adding additional flights out of Orlando and Sarasota to help assist those trying to evacuate the state.

Idalia is expected to make landfall on Wednesday morning and has strengthened to a Category 3 storm.

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

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