Thousands of flights canceled before storm

Hurricane Florence has already disrupted air and rail travel along the eastern seaboard.

More than 9,700 flights were canceled by airlines or airports as of Thursday evening, according to OAG, a digital flight-information company.

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines has canceled about 150 flights as coastal airports close due to Hurricane Florence.

Airports in Charleston, S.C., and Fayetteville, Jacksonville and Wilmington, N.C., said they would remain closed through at least Thursday, after closing Wednesday evening, according to Delta.

The cancellations include flights Thursday and today.

More flight cancellations could come, depending on the status of facilities and infrastructure after the storm makes landfall.

Southwest Airlines, the second-largest carrier at Hartsfield-Jackson, said by Wednesday evening it had canceled 264 flights this week due to Florence.

Dallas-based Southwest has suspended operations in Charleston, Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, Norfolk and Richmond through early Saturday morning.

Southwest advised travelers “to anticipate situational delays” and more cancellations based on

weather conditions on the ground and in the mid-At- lantic airspace.

Delta encouraged passengers to check their flight status, and the airline is waiving certain change fees through Monday for passengers with flights booked to, from or through affected airports who want to change their travel plans.

Southwest is also allowing passengers to re-book without paying an additional charge, with certain restrictions.

In addition to Southwest, American — which operates one of its busiest hubs in Charlotte — had canceled more than 705 flights in the region through Sunday, according to the carrier. Many of those were on regional affiliates that fly between Charlotte and smaller airports along the coast.

The big question now for travelers is Florence’s track, which shifted slightly over- night Tuesday into Wednesday morning. The storm is still expected to hit the Car- olina coast, but now appears likely to take a turn west toward Georgia — possibly stalling out over the region. Earlier in the week, it appeared as though Flor- ence may move inland farther north, possibly near Washington, D.C.

Amtrak also was limiting service in the region. The rail carrier canceled a number of its trains that run through the South. Additionally, Amtrak said its Northeast Regional service will not run to Virginia destinations south of D.C. from Wednesday through Sunday.

Florence is the most dangerous of three tropical systems in the Atlantic. Tropical Storm Isaac was expected to pass south of Puerto Rico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Cuba, while Hurricane Helene was moving northward away from land. Forecasters also were tracking two other disturbances.