Severe Weather Temporarily Grounds Flights At MIA
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Thursday's stormy weather affected more than 100 flights at Miami International Airport.
The FAA grounded all flights into and out of the airport during the worst of the weather and that caused numerous flights to be delayed, cancelled, or diverted.
Even after the ground stop was over, travelers waited in lines trying to rebook flights.
Lidice and Joe Hernandez's flight was canceled and they worried they wouldn't make it to Wisconsin to see their son's college graduation.
"I just texted my son...we're trying to get out of here. We're stuck in the airport," said Lidice Hernandez.
"If we have to fly this plane ourselves, we'll fly this plane ourselves. I'll see my son graduate tomorrow from Wisconsin," joked Joe Hernandez.
According to a Miami International Airport official, as of 4:15 p.m. due to severe weather conditions, MIA had experienced 25 cancelled departures and 6 cancelled arrivals, as well as 43 delayed departures and 14 delayed arrivals. Additionally, 49 flights were diverted to other airports.
The National Weather Service confirms an EF0 tornado in Miami that briefly touched ground around 2:30 PM one mile west of the airport.
A second funnel cloud was spotted about 20 minutes later.
A Miami International Tower Observer confirmed the tornado about 3 miles east of the airport.
There were no immediate reports of damage.
According to Chief Meteorologist Craig Setzer, while the tornado threat is decreasing, the local flood threat appears to be increasing.
MIA tweeted Thursday afternoon for those planning on flying, to check with your airline for specific information on the flight.
Fort Lauderdale reported 11 cancellations and more than 150 delayed flights due to the weather.
Florida Power and Light said Thursday afternoon that more than 1,200 customers are out of power in Miami-Dade County.
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