Severe Weather Causes Flight Disruptions in Southeastern US

A powerful storm system swept into the Charlotte, South Carolina region early Sunday, bringing torrential rain, strong winds and the potential for isolated tornadoes, causing significant disruptions for air travelers.

Operations at Charlotte Douglas International Airport were thrown into disarray, with hundreds of flights impacted. According to flight tracking website FlightAware, as of 5:30 p.m. ET, 540 inbound and outbound flights had been delayed, and an additional 83 flights were canceled. 

While the worst of the weather was expected to clear out later in the day, residual delays were deemed likely due to ongoing storms affecting other airports in the Southeastern U.S. 

The chaotic conditions left many passengers stranded, some for hours, as they waited for flights to be available to make their connections. WCNC Charlotte's Julie Kay spoke with several frustrated travelers who found themselves in limbo due to the weather-related disruptions. 

One passenger shared that their travel itinerary had been disrupted at multiple airports, while another, en route to Fort Lauderdale, anticipated a wait time of at least 12 hours at Charlotte Douglas before continuing their journey.

A spokesperson for American Airlines confirmed that the extensive delays and cancellations were directly tied to the severe weather conditions. "We are working as quickly and safely as possible to get our customers moving," they told WCNC.