At Miami International Airport, flights were canceled and delayed on Saturday and Sunday due to Debby, a tropical storm that was intensifying into a hurricane.
10% of MIA’s outbound flights were canceled and 19% of arriving flights were canceled as a result of Debby’s rippling effects. Hundreds of delays occurred.
The airline counters were a source of frustration. The halls were packed with people.
Hissam Ahmed, who is headed to Toronto, said, “We were just about halfway to the airport this morning when we got the text message saying the flight was cancelled. Just to wait, wait for the next text, with a plan B, so while we’re in line, we’re even contemplating our options, even considering driving 20 hours up to Toronto,” the airline employee reportedly remarked, according to him.
Before landing at MIA, which FlightAware states as among the airports with the highest number of delays and cancellations in the nation, travelers are advised to check the status of their flights with their airlines, according to officials from the Miami-Dade Aviation Department.
Carmen Yeats said, “I was supposed to fly to Newark yesterday; our flight was at 6:27 pm, and it just kept getting cancelled and cancelled.” She added that a representative of the airline informed her that they were unable to find a pilot for her flight due to the uncertainty.
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Although things at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport were a little better, both inbound and outbound planes continued to experience delays and cancellations.
Governor Ron DeSantis issued a warning to the populace, advising them to be ready for flooding and to follow any local evacuation orders. He made the National Guard available.
Tropical Storm Debby caused a potentially fatal storm surge that affected Florida’s Gulf Coast on Sunday night. Barrier islands and low-lying areas suffered greatly as a result of the storm’s outer bands.
By the end of this hurricane season on November 30, Debby became the fourth named storm.
