MIAMI — Before the winter weather chaos sets in, South Florida airports are seeing a surge of travelers, some escaping the cold and others flying into it.
Almost 10,000 flights across the U.S. set to take off over the weekend were canceled as a monster storm started to wreak havoc Saturday across much of the country and threatened to knock out power for days and snarl major roadways with dangerous ice, the Associated Press reported.
Michael Evan Harder flew in to Miami International Airport from Texas on Saturday and said he “thought it’d be much better out here.”
While some are seeking warmth, others are heading straight into frigid temperatures.
John Wilder, returning home to Boston with his wife Dottie after a Royal Caribbean cruise, said, “You figure you go away in January, you’re gonna go home and there’s a good chance there’s gonna be some snow.”
They’ll be stuck at home for a couple of days once the storm hits.
The winter storm is expected to affect more than half of the country, with a potentially historic blast of snow in the Northeast and ice from freezing rain in the southern states. That has led to widespread flight cancellations and delays.
Airlines including American, Delta, Southwest, and United have issued travel advisories and are allowing customers to rebook or cancel flights scheduled over the next several days.
Alex McHale, who flew in from Texas with a friend, said, “I would not recommend flying into this. Hang out somewhere warm like this.”
John and Dottie Wilder said they plan to prepare for the storm at home:
“Just shovel little bit at a time, enjoy it, watch football, hope that there’s some food in the house,” Dottie Wilder said.
John Wilder added, “What most people I think don’t understand is it’s not just the planes going to those areas, it’s the planes coming from those areas, so they can’t get here to pick you up and take you back, so it’s going to be a disaster for the East Coast everywhere.”
Travelers at airports from Charlotte to San Antonio reported confusion and delays as airlines struggled to adjust schedules.
David Loy, traveling from MIA to Charlotte with his wife, said their flight was canceled, prompting them to switch to an earlier flight.
“I can’t control it. It’s like, oh, I get another day or two or three in Miami,” he said, trying to keep a positive outlook.
In San Antonio, Robin Cason and friends were trying to return from a Bahamas cruise after their first flight was canceled. They were waiting to see if a flight from Baltimore would make it on time.
“The flight coming here is from Baltimore, so we’re wondering if it’s going to make it or not,” Cason said.
Passengers arriving from Georgia were bundled in coats and hats as they navigated the delays. Diane Olexa, traveling from Atlanta, said she had expected worse conditions.
“We thought it was just going to be horrible and we wouldn’t get out of Atlanta, but it hasn’t affected Atlanta yet,” she said.
Travel disruptions are expected to continue through the weekend. Lisa Cantrell, connecting in Chicago on her way to Kansas, said heavy snow in parts of the Midwest could leave her stranded.
“They are only supposed to get two inches. Topeka and Kansas City are on the 11-inch snow band, so we’ll probably get stuck in Chicago,” she said.
Travelers can get the latest flight information by clicking here.
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