Hotels along Florida's Treasure Coast are filling up with people fleeing Hurricane Idalia

Ananya Tiwari, Treasure Coast Newspapers
Updated ·2 min read

Treasure Coast hotels were reaching full or near-full capacity Tuesday as Florida Gulf Coast residents fled from Hurricane Idalia.

A significant surge in bookings have been coming from Sarasota, St. Petersburg and the Tampa area since Monday, according to local hotel staff.

The Florida's Division of Emergency Management issued evacuation orders Tuesday — both voluntary and mandatory — for residents of 28 Gulf Coast counties living in low-lying, flood-prone areas or homes that are unable to withstand Category 3 hurricane winds.

Florida residents seeking shelter from advancing Hurricane Idalia are seeking refuge at the Courtyard Marrott hotel on Harden Blvd near Lakeside Village in Lakeland Fl. Tuesday August 29,2023.Ernst Peters/The Ledger
Florida residents seeking shelter from advancing Hurricane Idalia are seeking refuge at the Courtyard Marrott hotel on Harden Blvd near Lakeside Village in Lakeland Fl. Tuesday August 29,2023.Ernst Peters/The Ledger

A diverse range of evacuees, including large families and elderly people, have been inquiring about Treasure Coast room availability and making reservations for the coming days.

The Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Fort Pierce, for example, has been fully booked since Monday, a representative said. “We have 94 rooms, and all have been booked because of people fleeing from the west coast who are evacuating because of the hurricane,” the clerk said.

In Vero Beach, evacuees began booking rooms Monday at Costa d'Este Beach Resort & Spa, according to spokesperson Kaitlyn McKinnon, and Tuesday at Star Suites: An Extended Stay Hotel. The latter booked about 30 rooms, primarily for residents of the Tampa and New Port Richey area, a clerk said.

Surfers use their boards to block the rain and wind as the outer bands of Hurricane Idalia pass at Naples Pier in Naples on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023.
Surfers use their boards to block the rain and wind as the outer bands of Hurricane Idalia pass at Naples Pier in Naples on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023.

At the same time, some people cancelled their reservations, presumably because of the hurricane. Five people from various parts of Florida cancelled their reservations at the the Pointe Hotel in Jupiter, a clerk said.

The Jupiter Waterfront Inn has seen only a handful of bookings since Monday, owner Elizabeth Minelli said. “Last year during Hurricane Ian, we were sold out because people lost their homes and everything.”

The National Weather Service issued a warning about the potential "life-threatening, dangerous situation," with Hurricane Idalia forecast to make landfall Wednesday as a major hurricane with speeds exceeding 110 mph.

Ananya Tiwari is TCPalm's business reporter. You can contact her at ananya.tiwari@tcpalm.com or follow her on X at @Ananyati.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida's residents are temporarily fleeing the east coast