Travelers thankful to have escaped Florida ahead of Hurricane Idalia

PHILADELPHIA - As Hurricane Idalia continues to spin towards Florida's west coast, travelers arriving in Philadelphia from the Tampa-area were thankful to have beat out the storm. 

A packed plane of passengers arrived to Philadelphia International Airport Monday night on one of the final flights before the midnight closure of Tampa International Airport. 

"When we were leaving all of our phones were going off, the alarms like ‘beep, beep’ saying the hurricane is coming," Cara Galob from Sicklerville said. "I said ‘god is good because we got the last flight out of there before it gets lit’."

The storm is forecasted to be a major hurricane causing the cancelation of flights to and from Tampa starting Tuesday. Some travelers who spoke to FOX 29's Chris O'Connell Monday night were actually headed into the hurricane. 

"I changed my plane my reservation, so I could leave one day early, so I could get all of the furniture off my lanai and hunker down," MaryAnn Kaiser from Weeki Wachee, Florida said.

For those who live in Florida they know sometimes the cost of living in paradise comes with a hefty price.

"We’re good we have hurricane windows, and we have a safe room our house is only three years old, so it’s totally hurricane ready," Vera Keenan from Largo, Florida said.

One of the biggest concerns for residents around Tampa Clearwater area is the storm surge. Christine McLees told FOX 29 she just left her parents in Largo, Florida and anticipates there being a few sleepless nights ahead watching Idalia's path.

"They’ve been luck in the past and haven’t been hit too hard," McLees said. "They are on higher elevation which is a plus and peace of mind for us."