CHARLOTTE — Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, causing widespread travel disruptions and putting emergency crews on alert.
First responders and rescue teams across North Carolina were placed on standby as the storm impacted flights at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
FlightAware reported nearly 300 flight delays and 40 cancellations at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
While the majority of passengers at the airport were able to depart as planned, travelers heading to destinations in Florida faced significant flight disruptions.
Ana Comptis was among the passengers stranded at Charlotte Douglas International Airport after traveling to the area for a work trip.
Her scheduled 6:45 p.m. flight back home to Miami was delayed until noon the next day, forcing her to find temporary accommodations.
“We were able to come here, but now we can’t get back. We were supposed to leave at 6:45 p.m. So now our flight got delayed until tomorrow noon, so we are stuck here staying in a hotel,” Comptis said.
Other travelers chose alternative transportation to avoid missing scheduled events. Alesha Hollingeshead had her flight to Miami cancelled while trying to connect to a cruise.
Rather than waiting for another flight, Hollingeshead decided to rent a vehicle to make the trip by ground.
“I’m probably not catching my flight; we’re renting a car and were gonna drive to Miami,” Hollingeshead said.
The cruise ship is scheduled to depart from Miami at 2 p.m. the following day.