Memorial Day storms cause travel delays as millions prepare to head home
A series of destructive storms across parts of the South and central U.S. could wash out Memorial Day plans and snarl millions of Americans' return trek home.
As of Monday morning, hundreds of flights had been delayed in the U.S., with dozens of others canceled, according to data on FlightAware.com. The Dallas-Fort Worth area, which has seen several rounds of thunderstorms and gusting winds over the weekend and into Monday, has been the most affected by those delays, the flight-tracking site said.
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, American Airlines' largest hub, said it was expecting to serve about 1.4 million travelers over the holiday. Over the weekend, lines hundreds of people deep snaked around the airport's terminals.
It's also the first Memorial Day weekend and major holiday travel weekend since the requirement that passengers have either a REAL ID or a passport for domestic flights went into effect earlier this month.
The storms on Sunday produced more than 180 severe weather reports, including six preliminary tornadoes in New Mexico and Texas. Extremely large hail, some up to 6 inches, was also reported near Afton, Texas, east of Lubbock.
Isolated severe weather threats are expected to continue from Texas through the Deep South and parts of Florida into Tuesday, according to forecasts.
Through Memorial Day, 9 million people were at risk for damaging winds and large hail across parts of Texas, including Abilene, Austin and San Antonio, and Louisiana, including Shreveport. There's also a continued chance of isolated tornadoes.
In addition, 12 million people remain under flooding threats across the South into Tuesday morning, with the alerts stretching across the Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana regions.
NBC affiliate WESH reported that the potential for pop-up storms on Monday across Florida, a popular holiday destination, could lead to ground stops late in the day at Orlando International Airport.
Officials said about a million people were expected to pass through the airport over the weekend, and the high volume could potentially lead to delays.
AAA expects a record 45.1 million people to travel at least 50 miles from home over this long holiday weekend. But most Americans — an estimated 38 million people, according to the association — are doing so by car.
And they're benefitting from gas averaging $3.18 per gallon — the lowest Memorial Day price in more than four years, AAA reported.
For the majority of the U.S., outdoor cookouts and travel plans home should remain on track.
Seasonal temperatures were anticipated across the Northeast with sun and clouds, while conditions were dry in the western third of the country.
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