Palm Beach International to stop flights Monday

Palm Beach International Airport will stop air travel on Monday as Hurricane Dorian approaches the state, airport officials said Sunday afternoon.

Florida has suspended tolls on major highways in advance of the storm, under orders from Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Tolls have been suspended on Florida’s Turnpike, Alligator Alley, the Sawgrass Expressway, the SR 528 Beachline Expressway, SR 417 and SR 429.

Evacuation orders

On Sunday, mandatory evacuation orders were issued for the coastal areas of Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie and Brevard counties. St. Johns County is expected to issue an evacuation order Monday.

DeSantis has directed state transportation officials to monitor traffic flow to determine the opening of shoulders along major highways. If that happens, the Florida Highway Patrol will assist in the direction of traffic.

Starting Sunday, the Interstate 595 Express Lanes will operate in the westbound direction until Hurricane Dorian has passed. Eastbound traffic will continue to use the general-purpose eastbound lanes.

Florida’s 511 Traveler Information System is one of the most effective ways drivers can keep informed about the state’s roadways during severe weather.

Highways clear

Traffic on the state’s highways has been relatively trouble-free, said Lt. Yanko Reyes, a spokesman for the Florida Highway Patrol.

“So far it’s been smooth,” he said. “The traffic is flowing fine. We haven’t had any issues as of now.”

State troopers responded to six minor accidents Sunday from Broward all the way to Indian River County, Reyes said.

People who want to ride out the storm away from home should consider traveling to a secure location close by rather than hundreds of miles away, Reyes said.

“By this time, you should know whether you are staying or going,” he said. “Once we start getting winds, you need to be inside. You shouldn’t start heading to Georgia or the Panhandle at this point. You shouldn’t be making long trips after tonight.”

Airport updates

Airports in Fort Lauderdale and Miami remain open. There have been no announcements about closures.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport posted this message on Twitter: “FLL is currently operational. At this time, no determination has been made as to when the airport will close. Should this change, airport officials, in coordination with the airlines and the FAA Tower, will announce when the airport will close. Any future update will be posted to our social media platforms and on fll.net.”

Miami International Airport said it will continue to monitor the progress of Hurricane Dorian.

“While Miami is not in the cone of concern, we recommend you follow up with your airline if you are flying this weekend,” airport officials posted on Twitter. “Remember to arrive at least two hours before departure time.”

Palm Beach International Airport announced it plans to cease all commercial air service Monday.

“We advise all travelers with travel plans in the coming days to contact their airline for cancellations and updates on service,” the airport said on Twitter. “Do not plan to shelter at PBI. PBI is not a county shelter.”

Tri-Rail update

Tri-Rail trains will suspend service after the last train Sunday night. There will be no trains operating Monday, and trains will not resume running until further notice.

“We will work as quickly as we can after the storm passes to restore service and have everything back up and running,” said Steven Abrams, executive director of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority. “We won’t know when service will be back up just yet, but all our efforts will be focused on getting trains running to help with potential recovery efforts after the storm.”

For updates, call the agency’s customer service phone number 1-800-TRI-RAIL (874-7245) until the train service is back up and running.