FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Severe thunderstorms sweeping through South Florida have led to numerous flight delays and cancellations at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Miami International Airport on Wednesday morning.
The severe weather in the area has caused at least 592 cancellations and 539 flight delays, both outbound and inbound, as of 7 p.m. Wednesday, according to Flightaware.com.
The latest date from FlightAware shows that MIA has experienced at least 317 cancellations and 378 delays due to the heavy rain in the area.
Airport officials say a flight management program is in effect, which is causing several flight disruptions.
Minor flooding is anticipated in low-lying and poor drainage areas, with water over roadways in some locations.
A Local 10 News crew was at FLL where the check-in lines were building due to the delays.
Local 10 spoke with some of the stranded and frustrated passengers at FLL on Wednesday afternoon.
“I didn’t get a notification until I was through security and then I got the notification saying it was canceled but nothing you can do about the weather,” said FLL passenger Mark Anadio.
“I’ve never experienced anything like this before. We sat out there for an hour and a half,” said traveler Noelle Huff.
We also heard from the Huff family who was heading to Asheville, North Carolina and were already on the plane when the pilot made an announcement.
“Our experience was cut short,” said Justin Huff. “They said we were going back to the gate and the flight was canceled.”
The Florida Panthers were scheduled to fly out of FLL to head to Edmonton just after 4 p.m. for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.
According to South Florida sports radio host Andy Slater, the team has been given a new route before heading north to Edmonton.
The Panthers are scheduled to leave S. Florida around 1 p.m. ET today.
— Andy Slater (@AndySlater) June 12, 2024
The team’s current flight route to Edmonton has been shut down by the FAA because of weather.
They’ll have to try to get approved for a different route or wait it out if nothing changes. pic.twitter.com/1EpE9M7HRn
The Panthers finally took off around 4 p.m. ET and landed in Edmonton four hours later, just before 8 p.m. MT.
Airport officials advise travelers to confirm their flights with their airlines before heading to the airport.
See the MiseryMap for a live visualization of flight delays.