St. Pete-Clearwater Airport closing Tuesday afternoon for Idalia

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport is closing Tuesday at 3 p.m. ahead of Tropical Storm Idalia, the airport said in a statement Monday.

Idalia is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane and hit Florida’s Gulf Coast on Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center. Pinellas County issued mandatory evacuations for Zone A, where the airport is located, and for residents in mobile homes and RVs on Monday.

Mandatory evacuations are issued when the probability of storm surge is high and loss of life could occur if residents don’t leave. It is illegal to stay in a home under a mandatory evacuation order. Refusal to follow an evacuation order is a second-degree misdemeanor under state law.

Travelers should check their airlines for flight delay and cancellation updates. So far, the airport said Allegiant flights to Nashville, Tennessee, are canceled on Tuesday. For Wednesday, cancellations included flights to and from Knoxville, Tennessee; Toledo, Ohio; Elmira, New York; Syracuse, New York; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Huntington, West Virginia; and South Bend, Indiana.

The St. Pete-Clearwater Airport said it plans to reopen Wednesday at 3 p.m.

Tampa International Airport is closing after midnight and stopping air traffic at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday to prepare for the storm.

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