MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) – While the weather in South Florida might be bright, passengers at the region’s airports are experiencing the repercussions of the first significant snowstorm of the year.
The enormous winter storm affecting various regions of the U.S. is delivering snowfalls that some states haven’t witnessed in many years. This snow is causing significant disruptions for travelers attempting to depart from Miami and Fort Lauderdale.
“This storm burst upon us unexpectedly,” stated Candie Green, who is flying to Ohio.
Even though Miami International Airport achieved record travel numbers on Monday, with expectations of 20,000 travelers at the airport, numerous travelers are encountering considerable flight cancellations.
Another couple, who spoke with 7News, expressed their joy at returning home to Maryland after visiting regions of Latin America. However, the intense winter storm had different plans for them.
“We’ve been on our trip since Dec. 20. We were in Belize and Costa Rica, and we were supposed to fly back to B.W.I. yesterday. Everything got canceled due to the weather,” shared Kash’ka Fain.
“We received a notification, and we immediately started searching for new flights,” commented Sherise Noel-Fain.
While awaiting their new flight, the couple reflected that the cancellation turned out to be a fortunate occurrence.
“We were able to spend an unexpected night in Miami, which I didn’t mind at all, because I really like Miami,” remarked Noel-Fain.
“I would prefer to spend an extra night somewhere than to pass away prematurely,” Fain added.
Green was also among those impacted.
“Miami has the ideal weather,” she remarked. “They kept sending me notifications about ‘possible cancellation,’ and finally, I received the final alert: ‘Your flight has been canceled.’”
The cancellation delayed Green and her family by nearly 24 hours, but she mentioned that it could have been more challenging.
“You know what? I was somewhat pleased,” she said. “I was hoping to stay longer in Miami.”
Other travelers at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport expressed dissatisfaction regarding the flight cancellations.
When asked what their backup plan was in case of cancellation, passenger Gene Shorts replied, “No idea. Probably just leave and look for a hotel.”
Airport authorities reported that more than 50 flights have been canceled from MIA, and over 40 from FLL.
Officials indicated that they anticipate cancellations will persist and advise travelers to stay in touch with their airlines if they plan to travel.
Officials predict that flight cancellations will continue throughout the day.
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