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Orlando is again in the eye of the hurricane, and this is literal, before the imminent passage of Nicole. Although the atmospheric phenomenon is still a tropical storm, the National Hurricane Center predicted that it could be a category 1 hurricane after moving away from the Bahamas and approaching Florida.
Already Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida, yesterday declared a State of Emergency for most counties in the state, among which is the county of Orange, where Orlando is, and Osceola County, where Kissimmee is.
In Orlando, preparations for the imminent passage of Nicole continue at full speed. This afternoon the Orlando International Airport, MCO, announced that it will close from tomorrow Wednesday at 4:00 pm. From that time commercial flights will cease and there is still no reopening date. Airport authorities asked passengers to contact their airlines or car rental companies with questions or to reschedule their trips. In addition, they reminded travelers that they cannot go to the airport to wait for the storm to pass, since they are not a refuge. “Passengers must make their accommodation arrangements”They indicated in a statement.
Other airports in the central region have also announced closures starting tomorrow.
Orange County public schools also announced closures on Thursday and Friday. Other school districts will close from Wednesday.
The passage of the phenomenon has been closely followed by the municipality of Orlando and its Emergency Operations Center. Orlando officials urged residents and visitors to prepare, and set up sandbag drop-off locations for those living in flood zones. “Protecting our residents and businesses, preventing loss of human life and minimizing damage is our priority, therefore we are taking this storm seriously.”Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said.
Major parks have not announced closures
As usual in these cases, the main Orlando parks, including those of Walt Disney World, SeaWorld and Universal Orlando Resort have not announced closures, waiting for the evolution of the phenomenon, to close, in case the passage of the storm is indeed confirmed. storm or hurricane through Orlando. The exception in Disney is Typhoon Lagoon, which will be closed Wednesday and Thursday. So will the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, which it said will reopen on Friday after evaluating its facilities.
A very active weekend in Orlando
Nicole’s step coincides with the preparations for a holiday weekend, for the celebration of Veteran’s Day, which in Orlando is synonymous with high hotel occupancy, due to the large number of visitors expected.
Travelers could see their vacation plans disrupted, as major airports close and flight delays and cancellations are anticipated.
If you have plans to travel to Florida these days, consult changes or recommendations with your travel agent, airline or the reservation method you used.
