Deadly Tropical Storm Idalia – No Longer a Hurricane – Moves Into Carolinas After Flooding Florida, Thousands of Flights Cancelled and DelayedFrequent Business Traveler
Tampa International Airport reopened to arriving flights Wednesday afternoon and resumed full operations at 3 a.m. local time early Thursday morning. Thousands of flights were cancelled and tens of thousands of air travelers were stranded due to the storm. The storm caused extensive damage to entire communities, leaving thousands of people in shelters, and many without power. The National Hurricane Center issued its first Idalia forecast on Saturday when the storm was first near Cozumel, Mexico, and correctly projected then where landfall would take place five days later within 10 miles (17 km). The storm knocked down trees and led officials to close flooded roads in Charleston, South Carolina, and St. Petersburg.
게시됨 : 2 년 전 ~에 의해 ~에 Travel Weather
What was once Hurricane Idalia continues to batter the Southeast’s Atlantic coast after sections of Florida’s west coast suffered the most extensive damage from what was the most powerful hurricane to hit the Big Bend region in over 125 years.
The storm wreaked havoc in the region, destroying entire communities, leaving thousands of people in shelters, and stranding tens of thousands of air travelers after airports and airlines preemptively cancelled a high number of flights on Tuesday in order to be able to secure aircraft and keep airport workers safe.
Tampa International Airport reopened to arriving flights Wednesday afternoon and resumed full operations at 3 a.m. local time early Thursday morning. The aerodrome “did not sustain any serious damage during the storm,” airport officials said.
Southwest Airlines’ schedule was the most affected on Wednesday, with 227 flights, or 5% of its flying, cancelled, and an additional 17% – some 714 flights – delayed. American Airlines, the world’s largest carrier, posted delays for 20% of its flights – totaling 701 – with an additional 163, or 4%, cancelled. United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and JetBlue Airways all experienced similar impacts to their operations.
Two deaths have been attributed to the storm and thousands of homes were damaged, many with roofs shredded or ripped off and walls destroyed, still others with knee-high floodwater. At one point, over half a million homes and businesses were without power and many were left without potable water.
Still, the number of deaths and injuries has remained small and some Florida residents and local officials credit this to the improved forecasting from the National Hurricane Center, allowing sufficient time for people to evacuate.
The center issued its first Idalia forecast on Saturday when the storm was first near Cozumel, Mexico, and correctly projected then where landfall would take place five days later within 10 miles (17 km). At that point, at least 28 counties in the state had issued evacuation orders.
Even though Idalia is heading out into the Atlantic, it remains a concern.
“Tropical Storm Idalia tracks offshore today,” the National Weather Service said early Thursday morning in a statement on its website, just as many were preparing to celebrate the Labor Day holiday weekend. “Heavy rain, strong winds, coastal impacts and rip currents remain a concern across the middle Atlantic and Southeast portions of the country,” the agency warned, however.
Meanwhile, in Charleston, the storm knocked down trees and led officials to close flooded roads, police said. South Carolina’s Charleston Harbor saw its waters spike to higher than 9’ (274 cm), making it the fifth-highest level ever recorded, the National Weather Service said, while Savannah was left with numerous downed trees and hundreds of power outages. In Florida, Cedar Key, East Bay Tampa, Clearwater Beach and St. Petersburg also experienced record storm surges.
As Idalia moves off the East Coast Thursday morning, heavy rainfall over South and North Carolina “will continue to lead to areas of flash, urban, and moderate river flooding, with considerable impacts,” the National Hurricane Center said in a statement.
주제: Florida, Hurricanes, Airport Delays