Hundreds of Flights Cancelled and Delayed as Severe Rainfall Paralyzes New York and New Jersey Airports

Extreme rainfall in New York City and New Jersey led to extensive air travel disruptions on Friday, resulting in hundreds of flights cancelled and delayed, alongside significant airport closures and flood warnings.(Photo: wusa9)

Hundreds of Flights Cancelled as Extreme Rainfall Causes Chaos at New York Airports

According to usatoday.com, extreme rainfall in New York City and New Jersey led to severe air travel disruptions on Friday, with hundreds of flights cancelled or delayed, causing extensive air traffic jams across the region.

LaGuardia Airport bore the brunt of these disruptions, with almost 400 flights delayed and 300 hundreds of flights cancelled by 6 p.m., as reported by FlightAware. Simultaneously, John F. Kennedy International Airport experienced over 400 flight delays and 200 hundreds of flights cancelled. The situation became so dire that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily halted flights departing from LaGuardia, leading to inbound flight delays averaging over two hours.

Terminal A, also known as the Marine Air Terminal, had to be closed due to flooding, and social media posts showcased individuals navigating ankle-level waters both inside and outside the terminal.

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Hundreds of Flights Cancelled and Record Rainfall Hit New York Airports

Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey also encountered significant delays, with more than 300 hundreds of flights cancelled and nine hundreds of flights cancelled, as per FlightAware. The FAA instituted ground delay programs at all three airports, and these programs were expected to persist until late Friday night. Meanwhile, JFK Airport experienced an unprecedented amount of rainfall, recording a staggering 7.88 inches in just 15 hours on Friday.

This made it the wettest calendar day at the airport since record-keeping began in 1948, surpassing the previous record of 7.8 inches. Consequently, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a flash flood warning covering Manhattan, Staten Island, Brooklyn, and several parts of New Jersey, highlighting the perilous conditions. Governor Kathy Hochul of New York advised people to exercise caution and emphasized that venturing out in a vehicle would be at their own risk.

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