🌱 Tampa International Airport Reopening + Local Schools Open Monday

Hello all. Carlos Hernandez here with your fresh copy of the Tampa Daily. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about what's happening in our community, including updates on:

• ✈️ Tampa International Airport reopens to the public today at 10 a.m. Passengers are advised to arrive early.
• 🌀 Students will get one more hurricane day with Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco planning to reopen schools on Monday, Oct. 3.
• ⛑️ City of Tampa sent rescue teams on Thursday down south to help those in need from Hurricane Ian in Lee and Charlotte counties.

Today is National Hot Mulled Cider Day. It's a great way to celebrate the arrival of cooler weather in the bay area.

But first, today's weather:

Cloudy and windy. High: 78 Low: 67.

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Here are the top stories in Tampa today:

1. Tampa International Airport (TPA) will reopen for operation today, Sept. 30, at 10 a.m. Inspectors found no serious damage to TPA from Hurricane Ian. All facilities will be open Friday morning to serve departing passengers. Passengers are advised to arrive early due to "high passenger volumes" anticipated. (Tampa International Airport)

2. City of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said Thursday that the city is among those sending rescue teams to Lee and Charlotte counties to help residents impacted recover from Hurricane Ian. About 279,000 TECO customers were without power on Thursday, with linemen working as quickly as possible to restore service. (Tampa Patch)

3. Two Tampa residents staged a photograph with the flag of Florida in South Tampa when Hurricane Ian sucked the water out of Tampa Bay and landed themselves in The New York Times. The negative storm surge brought curious residents on the sand, which could be dangerous if the water were to rapidly return. (Creative Loafing Tampa)

4. A viral video showed the moment a Valrico family was nearly crushed by a tree that fell on their home and lanai on Wednesday during Hurricane Ian. The family can be heard screaming in the footage. No one was injured. (WFLA)

5. Schools in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties plan to reopen Monday. All three counties began shutting down shelters on Thursday morning and will spend Friday cleaning facilities in preparation. (Subscription: Tampa Bay Times)

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Today in Tampa:

• USF Contemporary Art Museum Presents 2 Exhibits. (9 a.m.)
• Munchkin Music at The Roots. (9:30 a.m.)
• Book Discussion: "The Man Who Died Twice," by Richard Osman at Robert W. Saunders, Sr. Branch Library. (4:30 p.m.)
• Jazz With Jim at Carrollwood Cultural Center. (7:30 p.m.)
• Official Ybor Ghost Tour Adds Downtown Tampa Ghost Tour at Tampa Theatre. (8 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• The Florida Division of Emergency Management shared, "Individual assistance is now available for Floridians impacted by Hurricane Ian in Charlotte, Collier, Desoto, Hardee, Hillsboro, Lee, Manatee, Pinellas & Sarasota counties. There are three ways to start the application process." (Twitter)
• The Echocardiography Laboratory at Watson Clinic in Lakeland was recently granted reaccreditation status. Echocardiographic testing is vital for detecting many cardiovascular diseases. (Tampa Bay Newswire)
• Tampa area chefs and volunteers are working with World Central Kitchen, out of Tampa Metropolitan Ministries' commissary kitchen, to help those in need after Hurricane Ian. (Subscription: Tampa Bay Times, Free: Florida Politics)

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You're all caught up for today. See you all tomorrow for another update!

— Carlos Hernandez

About me: Hello my name is Carlos Hernandez and I am a food writer with over 10 years of experience in the industry. I write the food blog Carlos Eats (http://www.carloseats.com) and also contribute to several newspapers and magazines with food-related blogs and articles.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Tampa Daily? Contact me at SouthTampa@Patch.com