‘LIVES IN DANGER’

Florida Resort Slammed for Ignoring Hurricane Idalia Evacuation Order

Instead of evacuating, the Clearwater Beach Hyatt lied to its guests, authorities said.

Florida authorities have grilled the Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach for ignoring evacuation orders and allegedly lying to guests as Hurricane Idalia bore down on the state, the Tampa Bay Times reported. The hotel, which has 286 guest rooms on the waterfront, should have evacuated visitors on Sunday—when a hurricane watch was issued for coastal Pinellas County—in accordance with an agreement beachfront hotels negotiated with the city that allowed them to add more guest rooms in hurricane-prone areas. Jevon Graham, Clearwater Fire and Rescue’s division chief of emergency management, said the Hyatt didn’t just ignore its municipal agreement—it also ignored evacuation orders from the county, leaving it as the only waterfront hotel to remain open Tuesday as Idalia approached as a major hurricane. Guests interviewed by the Times said the hotel told them in emails and printed letters that officials said evacuation wasn’t required, which wasn’t true. “It’s negligent and they put people’s lives in danger,” Graham said.