Hundreds of flights were delayed or canceled as Hurricane Idalia wreaked havoc across the Sunshine State, forcing a handful of airports to close Wednesday ahead of the devastating storm.
Several major airports were closed, including Tampa International, St. Pete-Clearwater International, Boca Raton, Gainesville Regional and Tallahassee International.
They may reopen Thursday depending on the damage, officials said.
More than 700 flights in and out of Tampa International Airport were canceled for Tuesday and Wednesday, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.
Hurricane Idalia made landfall just before 8 a.m. near Keaton Beach in Taylor County, sliding in with 125-mph winds as a Category 3 storm before weakening to a Category 2 an hour later.
Hundreds of flights in and out of Florida were canceled or delayed Wednesday. Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP via Getty Images
Although it is lowered, National Hurricane Center still warning of an ongoing “catastrophic storm surge”. Idalia’s maximum sustained winds are now 110 mph, down 15 mph from a Category 3 gust of 125 mph.
Across all airlines, more than 1,300 flights into or out of the US were delayed Wednesday morning, while more than 1,600 were canceled altogether, according to Flight Aware.
Flight tracking websites show that Southwest Airlines’ schedule was the most affected, with more than 200 cancellations and an additional 200 delays.
More than 700 flights in and out of Tampa International Airport were canceled for Tuesday and Wednesday.AP
Other airlines affected include Delta, American Airlines and United, which each had between 70 and 160 cancellations and between 120 and 200 delays.
Several major airlines, including Southwest, Delta and United, have urged travelers traveling the Idalia route to be aware of schedule changes and cancellations.
All Florida airports urge travelers to check their flight status with their airline before they attempt to travel through Idalia to the airport.
United Airlines was one of several US airlines affected Wednesday by the storm.AP
Other airports remain open, including Sarasota Bradenton International, Jacksonville International, Fort Meyers International and Orlando International. However, they have all warned that disruption and flight delays are expected throughout the day.
Florida’s travel woes come as Idalia batters the state with damaging winds, heavy rain and the threat of a persistent storm surge of up to 16 feet in some places.
Nearly 270,000 Floridians were without power Wednesday as the storm swept through the state, PowerOutage.us showed.
President Biden is expected to speak about the impact of the hurricane from the White House Wednesday evening.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
