Tropical Storm Elsa Closures, Cancelations: What Is Shut Down in Florida

As Tropical Storm Elsa moves closer to Florida, airports in the state have begun to announce closures and other activities and attractions have also been impacted by the approaching storm.

On Tuesday morning, Tampa International Airport announced that it was suspending commercial flight operations at 5 p.m. local time in response to Elsa.

"Due to the latest forecast of Tropical Storm Elsa, which includes wind speeds of up to 65 to 70 miles per hour, Tampa International Airport will be suspending commercial operations at 5 p.m. tonight and suspending air cargo operations by 10 p.m.," the airport said in a statement.

According to the statement, the suspension of flight operations will last until Wednesday at 10 a.m. "after assessing the airport property for storm damage."

WFLA News reported that a spokesperson for St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport said airlines will be responsible for flight delays or cancellations. According to WFLA, the spokesperson for the airport noted that they weren't expecting any major delays at this point.

A spokesperson for St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport told Newsweek they are not suspending operations "as of right now," but noted that airport officials will be discussing any possible cancellations throughout the day.

Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays announced on Sunday that their game against the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday was postponed.

"The game has been rescheduled as part of a traditional doubleheader at 12:10 pm ET on Wednesday, July 7. Both games of the doubleheader will be seven-inning regulation games," the Rays said in a statement.

According to MLB, single-game tickets for Wednesday will be valid for both games of the doubleheader.

Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park also announced they would be closing on Tuesday in response to Tropical Storm Elsa.

"In anticipation of the severe weather forecasted to impact the Tampa Bay area tomorrow, ZooTampa will be closed Tuesday, July 6, 2021. ZooTampa has a comprehensive severe weather preparedness plan in place to ensure the safety of our animals and team members," the zoo said in a tweet on Sunday.

Numerous parks across Florida have also been closed in response to the tropical storm. According to the Florida State Parks website, at least 20 parks have been closed as Elsa move closer. A full list of park closures in the state can be found here.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, several colleges in the state have announced that classes will be held virtually in response to the storm, including St. Petersburg College and the University of South Florida.

In a recent update on Tuesday morning, the National Hurricane Center said that Tropical Storm Elsa is expected to bring heavy rainfall to parts of Florida through Wednesday.

"There is a danger of life-threatening storm surge along portions of the west coast of Florida tonight and Wednesday, and a Storm Surge Warning is in effect for that area," the update said. "A Hurricane Watch has been issued for a portion of the west-central and Big Bend coast of Florida, where hurricane conditions are possible tonight and early Wednesday."