Storms snarl US air travel: 10,000 flights disrupted as weather hits East Coast

A tropical storm brewing along the Gulf Coast has triggered a travel nightmare, disrupting over 10,000 flights across the US on Monday alone.

From Florida to New York, delays and cancellations rippled through major airports as travellers faced hours-long waits, grounded departures, and packed terminals. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued ground stops at more than a dozen airports, including John F. Kennedy International, LaGuardia, and Newark Liberty International.

“Flights are facing major impacts,” the FAA said in a statement, as it warned of “widespread delays” caused by “thunderstorms and tropical moisture.”

According to FlightAware, by 7:30 PM EDT Monday, 8,831 flights were delayed and more than 1,600 cancelled, creating the most disruptive travel day in months.

New York City became the epicentre of the disruption, already under a flash flood watch, with some arrivals at JFK and LaGuardia delayed more than three hours and departures stalled by two hours or more, according to the New York Post.

The chaos stems from a one-two weather punch — a tropical storm building in the Gulf of Mexico and a cold front sweeping in from the Midwest. Meteorologists warned that Florida could be pounded by “days of tropical downpours” starting Tuesday, aggravating the ongoing disruption.

Major hubs like Boston Logan, Reagan National, Baltimore-Washington International, and Denver International also reported significant delays, with some airports seeing more than a third of their departing flights affected. Tampa, Orlando, and Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental were among the hardest hit in the South.

The National Weather Service warned of more “strong to severe thunderstorms” expected across the East Coast, with extended storm coverage stretching from southern Maine to the southern tip of Florida.

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