Usher will no longer perform in Miami this weekend as Florida declares a ‘state of emergency’ amid Hurricane Milton.
The powerful Category 5 storm is expected to make landfall in Florida’s Gulf Coast on Wednesday night — just two weeks after devastating Hurricane Helene.
As a safety precaution, Usher announced Tuesday that he will be rescheduling his three sold-out concerts at Kaseya Center in Miami for later this year.
The R&B singer, 45, was originally slated to perform on October 11, 12 and 14. The shows will now be held on December 16, 18 and 19 at the same venue.
‘My upcoming shows in Miami at Kaseya Center have been rescheduled for December due to the state of emergency in Florida,’ Usher — whose connection to Diddy has come under scrutiny — shared via social media.
Usher will no longer perform in Miami this weekend as Florida declares a ‘state of emergency’ amid Hurricane Milton
‘Everyone’s safety and well-being remain my top priority and I’d rather celebrate with you all at a time when you can get to and from the show safely.
‘Praying for everyone affected by this natural disaster,’ Usher concluded.
He added on Instagram: ‘Florida, stay safe. I will see you soon.’
Though many praised Usher’s commitment to safety for his fans and tour crew, others criticized the decision and voiced frustration over the new dates.
Since the storm is only expected to hit the western coast of Florida, some felt it was an overreaction to cancel concerts in Miami, which is an east coast city.
‘My man. You wilding right now. Storm not hitting Miami and gonna be gone by Thur,’ one angered fan wrote on Usher’s Instagram post.
Many came to Usher’s defense, explaining that he and his tour crew would be affected by the major storm as they would be traveling through Florida during its predicted peak.
‘Not yall mad about a concert in the midst of an emergency in FL! Regardless of whether or not it will hit directly, its still an impact and unsafe to try and get there or have staff and fans trying to get there as well!’ one fan explained.
Another penned: ‘Safety first! Too many fans are traveling from outside of the area (not to mention our amazing crew who travels by truck) to risk them traveling through a hurricane’
Hurricane Milton is currently barreling toward Florida’s Gulf coast.It strengthened Monday into a Category 5 storm, with winds of greater than 155 mph.
The storm is expected to weaken to a Category 3 before it makes landfall Wednesday but National Hurricane Center specialist John Cangialosi told USA Today that Hurricane Milton ‘has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida.’
The powerful Category 5 storm is expected to make landfall in Florida’s Gulf Coast on Wednesday night — just two weeks after devastating Hurricane Helene; Tampa Bay, Florida pictured Tuesday
As a safety precaution, Usher 45, announced Tuesday that he will be rescheduling his three sold-out concerts at at Kaseya Center in Miami for later this year
He added on Instagram: ‘Florida, stay safe. I will see you soon’
The R&B singer was originally slated to perform on October 11, 12 and 14. The shows will now be held on December 16, 18 and 19 at the same venue; seen on September 21
Millions have been encouraged to evacuate the area, while Disneyland, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld announced Tuesday that they will close their theme parks and respective entertainment facilities on Wednesday, with the latter two also closed on Thursday.
Orlando International Airport — the nation’s seventh busiest and Florida’s most trafficked airport — also announced plans to cease operations Wednesday morning.
The National Hurricane Center is predicting storm surge in Tampa Bay and surrounding waters of between 8 and 12 feet above normal tide conditions, and rainfall of between 4 and 6 inches because of Hurricane Milton.
A 2015 report from the Boston-based catastrophe modeling firm Karen Clark and Co. concluded that Tampa Bay is the most vulnerable place in the U.S. to storm surge flooding from a hurricane and stands to lose $175 billion in damage.
The heightened risk is partially a result of topography. The Gulf of Mexico coastline of Florida is shallow with a gentle, sloping shelf. The higher ocean floor acts as a barrier that retains the storm’s outflow of water, forcing the ocean to surge onto shore.
That’s the opposite of Florida’s east coast, where the ocean floor drops suddenly a few miles from the coast.
MIT meteorology professor Kerry Emanuel said a hurricane in Tampa is the ‘black swan’ worst-case scenario that experts have worried about for years.
‘It’s a huge population. It’s very exposed, very inexperienced and that’s a losing proposition,’ Emanuel, who has studied hurricanes for 40 years, said.
Though many praised Usher’s commitment to safety for his fans and tour crew, others criticized the decision and voiced frustration over the new dates; seen on September 21
Many came to Usher’s defense, explaining that he and his tour crew would be affected by the major storm as they would be traveling through Florida during its predicted peak
‘I always thought Tampa would be the city to worry about most.’
Usher kicked off his Past Present Future tour in August. It marks his sixth headlining concert tour.
The 78-date concert tour will see him travel across the United States and Europe.
It will come to a close in May 2025 after two back-to-back shows at The O2 Arena in London England.
The Past Present Future tour is in support of Usher’s ninth studio alum Coming Home. It was released in February 2024 – two days before he headlined the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show in Las Vegas.
It features 20 tracks and collaborations with the likes of 21 Savage, Summer Walker and Latto.
