The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily suspended flights at Miami International Airport (MIA) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) on Monday in response to the intense thunderstorms that hit South Florida.
The measure, implemented between 4:30 p.m. and 5:20 p.m., paralyzed airline operations during the busiest time of day, generating delays and cancellations that affected thousands of passengers.
The FAA justified the ground stop order by the dangerous conditions caused by the storms.
The impact was immediate. FlightAware data reveals that 44 flights were canceled in Miami and at least 224 delays were recorded. Fort Lauderdale, although with only one flight cancellation, reported 143 significant delays.
Likewise, arrivals at MIA experienced delays of nearly an hour, while departures were delayed by up to 35 minutes, according to airport officials and passengers.
These disruptions occurred amid challenging weather conditions, due to a mass of tropical moisture that, combined with a stationary front, favored the formation of severe thunderstorms with rainfall accumulations of between 2 and 3 inches, along with wind gusts and lightning.
The extreme weather conditions also affected ground infrastructure and urban traffic. A flash flood warning remained in effect for northern Miami-Dade County throughout the afternoon, affecting areas such as Hialeah, Aventura, North Miami, Opa-locka, and West Little River.
According to reports, standing water in the vicinity of Fort Lauderdale Airport complicated vehicle entry and exit.
