This hasn’t been a good few weeks for airlines and the customers that frequent them. As Hurricane Debby raged and was set to make landfall Monday morning, major East Coast cities like Atlanta and Charlotte were bracing themselves. That means hordes of people would find themselves stuck in local airports.
Sunday was hit hard with cancellations and delays. According to FlightAware, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta faced 491 delays. Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte was hit with 251 delays of its own. In total, there were 9,668 delays flying within, in, or out of the United States. Couple this with the 2,962 total cancellations and it is understandable why customers were so upset.
“We’ve been here for probably about three and a half hours I’d say,” said Danny Hughes in the Charlotte airport. “We arrived at the airport four hours early. Our flight is about to take off. We arrived four hours early because we are traveling with two young kids.”
Hurricane Debby is a Category 1 storm that made landfall Monday morning in Florida. The area is being hit with rain, winds, and storm surges. Winds are estimated at 80 miles per hour. Expectations are that the storm will drop almost two feet of rain within Georgia and South Carolina as it continues its path north. The impact is expected to be felt through Friday before the storm’s power tapers off. Governors of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina have all declared states of emergency before the incoming storm.
Expect more flight troubles throughout the week as Hurricane Debby continues to hammer these southern states.