DALLAS — More than 1,000 flights were canceled Monday as Hurricane Dorian approaches the Florida coast.
According to FlightAware, Florida airports, including those in Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and Palm Beach, account for the bulk of today’s cancellations.
More than 540 flight cancellations were reported at Fort Lauderdale International Airport (FLL) today. The airport closed at noon EST Monday.
More than 280 flights were reportedly cancelled at Orlando International Airport (MCO) today.
Palm Beach International Airport shut down all operations Monday, encouraging passengers to contact their airlines. They also emphasized in a tweet that passengers should not seek shelter at the airport.
There were a handful of cancelled flights out of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale Monday.
Some airlines, including American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, are waiving fees and offering to rebook flights for passengers flying to certain cities in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas.
Many of the coastal counties in those states are under evacuation orders.
Hurricane Dorian unleashed massive flooding across the Bahamas on Monday, pummeling the islands with so much wind and water that authorities urged people to find floatation devices and grab hammers to break out of their attics if necessary. At least five deaths were blamed on the storm.
Authorities in Florida ordered mandatory evacuations in some vulnerable coastal areas. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper warned his state that it could see heavy rain, winds and floods later in the week.
A hurricane watch was in effect for Florida's East Coast from Deerfield Beach north to South Santee River in South Carolina. A storm surge watch was extended northward to South Santee River in South Carolina. Lake Okeechobee was under a tropical storm watch.
A National Guard official, John Anderson, said many people were complying with the evacuation orders.
