WHAT’S OPEN
Airports reopen, as do bridges to barrier islands — for residents and workers.
FORT LAUDERDALE – It wasn’t the 17-day South Florida vacation they envisioned, so after being chased across the state and then hit by Hurricane Irma, John and Lynn Epert were more than happy to be flying back home to Nevada.
The married couple were among many travelers hitting the skies after Fort LauderdaleHollywood International Airport reopened on Tuesday morning after being closed more than three days because of the hurricane.
After reopening at 4 a.m., American Airlines Flight 525 from Charlotte, N.C., was the first to arrive on Tuesday, landing at 9:26 a.m. Broward aviation spokesman Greg Meyer said most of the airport’s 16,000 employees were back at work as the facility resumed operations.
The three major airports in the tri-county area are operational again, with Palm Beach International resuming flights Monday and Miami International on Tuesday.
“We survived the hurricane very well,” Meyer said. “We received very minimal damage and we’re in good shape. ”
The reopening of the airport was a welcome relief for travelers who were either marooned in South Florida or scattered across the country waiting to get here.
The Eperts, who live in Henderson, Nev., flew into Fort Lauderdale last Wednesday to celebrate John’s 77th birthday. However, shortly after checking into their 18th-story room at the Marriott Beach Place, they were told they told they needed to evacuate. On Thursday, the couple drove a rental car to Lakeland, where they ended up getting hit by the storm anyway.
After driving back to Fort Lauderdale on Monday, they found their hotel without electricity on a roadway covered with sand. After a night at an Airbnb, they decided to cut their losses and fly back home.
Despite the adversity, the couple was in good spirits on Tuesday as they waited in the airport terminal.
“Great birthday vacation,” Lynn said with a laugh. “He met Irma!”
As of Tuesday afternoon, 356 flights had been canceled at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood for its opening day, or about 55 percent of the scheduled flights. Meyer estimated the airport sees an average of 700-800 flights on a normal day.
Miami International Airport is operating at 30 percent but hopes to return to full strength by the weekend. Palm Beach had just 59 flights scheduled on Tuesday — 24 arrivals and 35 departures — per its website.
Travelers at all three airports are encouraged to check with individual airlines regarding flights.
Lisa Ivey, of Miramar, and her family were among the fliers returning home after FLL reopened. She and her husband drove their two children in a rental minivan to ride out the hurricane with family friends in Atlanta — only to see the storm come through there Monday.
The family initially planned to drive back Tuesday morning, but after checking road conditions, they elected to fly back and found a last-minute flight from Atlanta
“It took us about 15 hours to [drive to Atlanta] and it was a little nerve-racking, We didn’t want to chance getting on the road and not being able to fill [up on gas],” Ivey said. “We were able to find last-minute flights from Delta this morning.”
With the hurricane bearing down on South Florida, many people used the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport parking garages as shelter for their vehicles.
The airport has a capacity for roughly 12,500 cars, which Meyer said the facility exceeded. While some double-parked their cars in the garages, Meyer said some drivers abandoned their vehicles at cell phone waiting areas and by curbside terminals. Those cars were towed.
“When people come to the airport, they have an expectation that they’ll find a parking spot, and we hope to provide that. Right now cars are starting to clear out a little bit,” Meyer said.