Travel nightmare unfolds as storm system grounds East Coast flights ahead of July 4
Ground stops and delays were issued at Newark Liberty International Airport and LaGuardia Airport in the New York City area, as well as at airports in Boston, Washington D.C., Philadelphia and Orlando, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Scattered storms, excessive rainfall and flooding were expected in the northeast, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. The NWS expects up to three inches of rain along the East Coast.
On Monday, Newark Liberty Airport, which has been plagued by disruptions due to ongoing staffing shortages, experienced delays of a whopping four hours due to thunderstorms, with the interruptions expected to affect flights until 2 a.m.
Philadelphia International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport began experiencing delays this week, with bad weather continuing to wreak havoc on flights as they moved through the area.
Collectively, five airports logged about 600 cancellations and 1,900 delays, according to data from FlightAware.
LaGuardia Airport had about 180 flights canceled and 400 delayed, according to the site.
Tuesday's expected storms come as many people are flying out of major airport hubs or driving ahead of the July 4 holiday weekend.
A flood watch was in effect for the Washington, D.C., area, and heavy rains were expected in New York City.
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