"I got out just in time!" Travelers leave Florida for Boston as Hurricane Idalia moves in
BOSTON - At Logan Airport in Boston, Sabrina St. Surin and her family were glad to wrap up their Florida vacation and head back to Brockton on Tuesday as hundreds of flights out of Florida were canceled or delayed.
"There was a lot of people at the airport trying to get out," she said. "The lines were nuts, but we got through!"
The Orlando Airport they took off from was the next closest option to Tampa, which had closed at midnight. Preparations for Hurricane Idalia had Floridians filling sandbags, emptying store shelves and - in some cases - leaving.
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"I got out just in time. I was originally supposed to leave tomorrow, but I moved it up to today," said Alex Charwin, who needed to get to Boston for a family funeral. "I figured it would probably be unrealistic to assume I could make a flight tomorrow."
Back in his home state, resorts are offering refunds and coupons. Airlines also tried to smooth things over. "We did get an email from the airline asking if we would be willing to change our plans," said Carol Wu after she landed in Boston.
Options out of the Sunshine State are narrowing. Julia High was relieved to get a flight out in time to start her second year at Harvard University. But she worries about what she left behind in Florida.
"My dad's still at home, so hopefully, you know, he's going to be alright in the next few days as the storm rolls in," she said.
