Hurricane Debby is causing travel hell for millions of Americans as more than 2,000 flights have been grounded by the fatal storm.
More than 20,000 journeys had also been delayed by 2pm on Monday as the Category 1 storm barreled into Florida over the morning, according to FlightAware.
Most meteorologists agree the storm will continue to batter the Sunshine State before heading north-east on Tuesday through Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia.
Passengers wait in line at American Airlines in Terminal B at the Philadelphia International Airport, Monday morning, Aug. 5, 2024, as they deal with cancelled flights to the south due to Hurricane Debby
This GOES-16 GeoColor satellite image taken at 8:16 a.m. EDT and provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows Hurricane Debby, lower left, a Category 1 storm over northern Florida, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024
The 80mph Category 1 storm made landfall in Florida ’s Big Bend region on Monday morning, leaving more than 220,000 homes without power across the state
American Airlines has delayed 14 percent of its flights scheduled for Monday and canceled 10 percent.
Southwest has canceled 13 percent and canceled five percent. Meanwhile, 12 percent of Delta flights are delayed and three percent are canceled.
Some 22 percent of Spirit flights are delayed and 14 percent canceled.
JetBlue has canceled 26 percent of flights and delayed 11 percent.
Florida airports are the worst impacted.
At Orlando International, 123 flights have been delayed and 126 canceled.
Some 112 flights are delayed and 67 canceled at Miami International. Tampa has also delayed 56 flights and canceled 85.
More travel chaos is likely as the storm moves north-east towards Georgia and the Carolinas.
Some meteorologists have warned the storm system could continue barreling north through Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts through the rest of the week up to Saturday.
The full list of flight cancelations and delays is available on the FlightAware website.
Hurricane Debby is causing travel hell for millions of Americans as more than 2,000 flights have been grounded by the fatal storm
Hurricane Debby is predicted to rip through 10 US states after making landfall in Florida, according to one terrifying model
Hurricane Debby is predicted to rip through 10 US states after making landfall in Florida, according to one terrifying model
In an aerial view, a Florida National Guard vehicle drives through a flooded street from the rain and storm surge caused by Hurricane Debby on August 05, 2024, in Cedar Key, Florida
It comes as a 13-year-old boy, who lived near Fanning Spring, died after a tree crushed the roof of his home. There were other adults inside, but they were unharmed.
‘Storm surge, strong winds, and heavy rainfall will impact a broad area of the Florida coastline overnight tonight and tomorrow,’ hurricane expert Dr Levi Cowan said.
Dr Cowan compiles storm path projections from trusted sources to create a map of all possible outcomes. His latest map for Debby shows it hurtling through almost the entire east coast while diminishing in strength to storm level.
Dramatic photographs show parts of Florida being hammered by torrential rain and gale-force winds as the hurricane made landfall Monday morning.
The storm hit Steinhatchee with winds of 80mph at 7am EDT according to the National Hurricane Center.
The landfall is just 20 miles from where Hurricane Idalia struck in August 2023 as a Category 3 storm with 125mph winds, causing 12 deaths.
Hurricane Debby has the potential top bring record-setting rainfall, catastrophic flooding and life-threatening storm surges as it moves across northern Florida.
