Hundreds of Flights Impacted as Hurricane Debby Hits Florida
by Briana Bonfiglio /See also: Hurricane Debby Closes Tampa Port, Causes Multiple Cruise Changes
Flight delays and cancellations are on the rise at several Florida airports as Hurricane Debby makes landfall in the state’s Big Bend region.
The storm is travelling in a north-northeast direction and bringing winds of up to 75 mph. According to the National Hurricane Center, it is “expected to bring major flooding over the southeastern United States over the next few days.”
As a result, hundreds of flights have been impacted at four major Florida airports. As of 2 p.m. Monday, Tampa International Airport had canceled 29% and delayed 20% of flights – that’s 85 canceled and 58 delayed, according to FlightAware.com.
Orlando International Airport has canceled 126 (29%) and delayed 123 (22%) flights. Jacksonville Airport has canceled 38 (34%) and delayed 14 (12%) flights. At Miami Airport, there are 67 (10%) delays and 118 (18%) cancellations.
Some airlines are issuing flight change fee waivers, including United, Southwest, and American Airlines. Check the airlines’ websites for a list of airport disruptions that qualify. Airlines are also anticipating travel in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina to be impacted in the coming days as the storm progresses.