FORT LAUDERDALE-HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) - As Hurricane Florence approaches the Carolinas, travelers are dealing with delayed and cancelled flights.
Travelers across the nation are now working diligently to change their travel plans as Florence heads to the East Coast.
Throughout the country, more than 1,600 flights have been cancelled from Thursday until Saturday. Locally, at Miami International and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airports, about two dozen flights have been cancelled.
Hurricane Florence’s unpredictable path has Carolina residents getting out of its way and heading to South Florida.
Evacuees arrived at Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Thursday.
“I’m out, I’m here safely, and hopefully the rest of the family gets out,” said South Carolina resident Carla Lopez. “Leaving this morning was super eerie. There was like six cars on the road on our way from home to the airport. We live in Evacuation Zone C.”
Nancy Ferrante fled to Fort Lauderdale with her two children. They’re taking shelter with relatives.
“The main concern is getting out. We haven’t had much experience with other storms there,” Ferrante said. “We’re just trying to get out and prepare. It keeps changing. It keeps going south and north, south and north and potentially coming back around and Sunday to the Myrtle Beach area, so we just wanna get out and make sure that the kids are safe.”
Some who traveled from Charlotte, North Carolina, are happy that the storm has lost some steam.
“We’ve done this before, just like Florida has,” said traveler Elizabeth Barnhart. “You just make your plans and hope for the best.”
Pedro Rojas, who was visiting the Carolinas from Venezuela, cut his trip early.
“We’re leaving because of Florence. We wanted to stay there more days, but when we saw what happened with Florence, ‘Man, we need to leave right now because something bad is going to happen here,'” Rojas said.
Rojas escaped the storm, but he’s concerned for those who stayed behind in the Carolinas. “I’m worried about the people who stayed there, and my prayers go out to all the people who stay there,” he said.
However, not everyone is trying to get out of the area.
“Going to Charleston, going into the storm to help the family, get ’em packed up and then just boarded up so that they can be ready before the storm hits,” said Thomas Johnston, who is heading to South Carolina.
For residents of the Carolinas, getting back home could take a while. Although only a few flights from South Florida have been cancelled, as the storm moves closer, travelers should expect many more cancellations to and from the Central East Coast.
As of 4:30 p.m., Thursday, no additional flights are scheduled to arrive in South Florida from the Carolinas.
Officials closed the runways at Charleston International Airport in South Carolina on Wednesday. They do not expect to resume operations until Saturday.
For a full list of cancellations and delays that are coming and going from South Florida click on the links below.
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