Hurricane Idalia crossed Florida’s “Big Bend” on Wednesday morning bringing with it Category 3 winds. At one time it had reached Category 4 with winds just over 130 mph, but by landfall, it was a strong Category 3.
For those planning to travel to Miami Gardens for the Orange Blossom Classic where Florida A&M will take on the Jackson State Tigers, there are some precautions that you may need to consider in your travel plans.
If you do not already have it, we suggest you install the Waze App on your phone. The Florida Department of Transportation partners with Waze and the GPS App has features which will help reroute you in the event of a temporary closure. Because Waze is an integrated App that allows users to report accidents, closures and slow traffic, it is beneficial for a trip following a storm.
Before traveling, take a glance a www.FL511.com. That is the Florida Department of Transportation’s website that details closures and accidents.
The Orange Blossom Classic is a full go
Miami Gardens is awaiting your arrival. With a full slate of ancillary events scheduled to accompany the game, the tradition of the historic game will be revived at 3:00PM on Sunda, Sept. 3 at Hard Rock Stadium.
The Jackson State Tigers are coming off their first win of the season with a dominating 37-7 victory over the South Carolina State Bulldogs in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge. The Rattlers are on a nine-game winning streak following their loss to JSU in last season’s OBC. Of course the showdown between FAMU’s Marching “100” and JSU’s “Sonic Boom of the South” has its own hype.
For all updated information on the Denny’s Orange Blossom Classic, please visit www.OrangeBlossomClassic.com
North Florida Travel
West Florida travel is normal. I-10 from Pensacola to Tallahassee has no reported closures. Immediately after the storm, there is debris on I-10 from blowing limbs and other items that flowed in the 100+ mph winds.
There is a reported closure on two exits in Madison, Fla. Make sure to have plenty of fuel to surpass this area as the closure is on the exit ramps.
South Florida Travel from I-10
There are two major way to get to Miami from I-10. You can choose to go the route of the Florida Turnpike, which requires adjoining travel on i-17 South through Gainesville or you can select to remain on I-10 to Jacksonville and take I-95 South for the duration.
If you are taking the Florida Turnpike to Miami, you will pass through Gainesville which had some flooding, but no reported closures on I-75 South. There are also no reported closures on the Florida Turnpike. Upon exiting the turnpike to I-95 South, the path is clear for travel. There is a cost associated (about $18 — either Bill-By-Plate or Sunpass) to travel on the Florida Turnpike, but it is usually a steady alternative that does not have traffic jams as it does not pass through cities.
If you choose to go I-95, it is a free route. Travel time is identical to the Florida Turnpike route. However, it does go through cities, meaning you could see slower traffic at high traffic times. I-95 will take you through Fort Lauderdale, through Miami Gardens and to Miami.
Because of the emergency situation and folks having to evacuate, the Florida government has suspended tolls in several counties.
Expect to see first response and emergency response units
In preparation for the hurricane, Florida stationed emergency response units strategically throughout the state. It will not be uncommon to see a Rest Area with several electrical bucket trucks waiting to be deployed. You might also encounter semi trucks with generators, transformers and other power restoration apparatus.