The Tampa International Airport will reopen to arriving flights only at 4 p.m. Wednesday, with plans to resume full operations at 3 a.m. Thursday, according to a news release. The St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport will be reopening at 3 p.m. as planned. Flights will resume Thursday.
The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority will continue to suspend all service today due to “widespread and increasing road flooding” from Hurricane Idalia. The agency plans to resume service Thursday.
Agile Thought, a Tampa-founded IT services firm, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Monday as part of a restructuring deal that will see the company return to the private market. The company owes over $221 million to unsecured creditors, according to court documents. The company had an initial market value of $491 million when it went public through a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) - LIV Capital Acquisition Corp. - in 2021.
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis urges Floridians to take photo evidence of their home before Hurricane Idalia makes landfall so homeowners have proof in case they need to make an insurance claim after the storm. Visit PrepareFL.com for storm-related resources and information. To read more, click HERE.
As Tampa General Hospital's main Davis Island campus is surrounded by water, the team is busy at work installing what it calls the AquaFence to protect the hospital against storm surge and flooding. The fence is a water impermeable barrier that can withstand storm surge up to 15 feet above sea level, according to the hospital. TGH is the only Level I Trauma Center in West Central Florida.
Ride-share company Uber will be offering free round-trip rides to evacuation shelters. The option is available for residents in Hernando, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Leon and Manatee counties. To redeem a free round trip, up to $35 each way, users must go into their mobile account, tap the wallet icon, scroll to the "add promo code" open and enter code IDALIARELIEF. The rides, which don't impact the driver's earnings, are valid for up to two trips per rider.
Officials with St. Peterburg’s Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital will close all Outpatient Care Centers Wednesday due to Hurricane Idalia’s anticipated impacts. The hospital will also stop performing non-emergency surgeries at noon Tuesday. Its emergency center in St. Pete will remain open throughout the storm.
Residence halls at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg will close at 8 a.m. today as Hurricane Idalia makes its way through the Gulf of Mexico. School officials closed the campus to non-emergency personnel until Thursday, Aug. 31. They will transport students without a place to stay to the Tampa campus, where residence halls remain open.
St. Petersburg-based Duke Energy Florida has mobilized about 4,500 line technicians, vegetation workers, damage assessors, and support personnel in response to Tropical Storm Idalia approaching the state. Crews from Duke’s Midwest operations - and workers from other utility companies across Florida and the Southeast – will assist with power restoration in the storm’s aftermath.
Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik, a key player in shifting downtown Tampa's real estate scene, has purchased a $63.75 million mansion in Aspen, Colorado, according to the Wall Street Journal. Vinik and his wife, Penny Vinik, will keep their main residence in Tampa. The sale comes after Vinik sold his stake in the Water Street development group Strategic Property Partners to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates' Cascade Investment Fund LLC.
State officials have warned residents that gas supplied by Citgo and purchased from the Port of Tampa is likely contaminated with diesel fuel. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said the contamination is potentially widespread and could impact fuel sold throughout the Tampa Bay region. Diesel can damage gasoline engines in vehicles and generators, and many residents along the Gulf Coast are stocking up on fuel as Hurricane Idalia approaches the areas.
Vision care group VSP Optical Group Inc. will be laying off a dozen employees. The company notified the state the job cuts will occur at the local Clearwater optical center, located at 5600 115th Ave. N. "The facility will continue to operate but on a more limited basis after these layoffs," the letter read. The layoffs will occur on Oct. 26.
