My sister called me yesterday and asked if I thought her flight from Palm Beach (PBI) was going to go out. “Why wouldn’t it?” I asked, and she told me there were some crazy storms in South Florida. I looked up JetBlue flights from PBI to New York and they all went out yesterday and most of them on time so I told her not to worry too much. RELATED: What to Do in Weather Delays and Flight Cancellations
Then I received an email from United Airlines with the subject line: FLL Severe Weather. The email said they’re offering a travel waiver, which allows for voluntary changes for travel to, from or through Ft. Lauderdale, FL (FLL) for travel dates: April 12 – 13, 2023. Gulp.
Fort Lauderdale is only 50 miles away and Miami International Airport is just 31 miles from FLL. So South Florida is a real mess. According to FOX News, “The National Weather Service said Wednesday evening that two to six inches of rain had fallen on South Florida since morning. It said the heavily urbanized corridor was susceptible to additional flash flooding through evening rush hour. NWS Miami issued a flash flood warning for areas near Hollywood, Dania Beach, and Fort Lauderdale, calling it a “life-threatening situation.” The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, meanwhile, canceled flights and closed its roadways due to flooding.”
LiveStormChaser shared an unbelievable video on Twitter of a Frontier Airlines flight taxing in almost a foot of rain at FLL. The video is below and the caption reads: “Take a look at the ongoing Flash Flooding in Fort Lauderdale, FL and at Hollywood International Airport this evening! Almost a foot of rain has covered the runway and tarmac!”
Take a look at the ongoing Flash Flooding in Fort Lauderdale, FL and at Hollywood International Airport this evening! Almost a foot of rain has covered the runway and tarmac!
Permission: David Woodard#FLwx #Florida #FortLauderdale pic.twitter.com/My5pcr29Pf
— Live Storm Chasers (@LiveStormChaser) April 13, 2023
After seeing the video, one user commented: “Our flight for tomorrow was cancelled. Now I know why.” Another quipped: “Noah, gate 6 please. Noah gate 6.”
Another traveler posted photos and video on Twitter showing how chaotic the airport is, how long it takes to get in and out and how crazy the flooding is. Her tweet reads: “Crazy weather created chaos at #FLL tonight! Arrived at 4:30, flight cancelled. Airport entrance and exit under water, traffic not moving. Finally got out of parking deck at 12:45am.”
Crazy weather created chaos at #FLL tonight! Arrived at 4:30, flight cancelled. Airport entrance and exit under water, traffic not moving. Finally got out of parking deck at 12:45am. pic.twitter.com/gkNXQVbReT
— Sally Sebastyn #1SFLPro (@sally_sebastyn) April 13, 2023
The official Twitter handle for Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Intl Airport just tweeted that the airport is now expected to remain closed until at least noon (12pm) on Thursday. Follow Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Intl Airport and the airline you’re flying on Twitter for the latest developments.
#TravelAlert No. 5. Please note that #FLL is now expected to remain closed until at least noon (12PM) on Thursday, April 13, 2023. The entrance roadways are still closed until further notice. Roadway updates will be provided as more information is available… pic.twitter.com/tu02MavaeJ
— Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Int’l Airport (FLL) (@FLLFlyer) April 13, 2023
I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s no wonder so many flights have been canceled. FLL has already canceled over 175 flights according to FlightAware and it’s only 8:30am EST. Fortunately, it looks like MIA and PBI are being spared, which is quite remarkable.
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