Nearly 500 flights heading to and from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport have been called off because of severe weather affecting the Atlanta region.
On Friday evening, a persistent set of storms led to heavy downpours throughout much of Atlanta, as reported by the city’s National Weather Service office.
The heavy rainfall resulted in significant flash flooding in the area surrounding the airport, as well as Grant Park, College Park and Forest Park.
A clip shared on social media captured travelers sitting on the floor and others napping at the airport during the delays and cancellations. Another clip on X revealed lightning lighting up the skies in Hampton, a suburb just south of Atlanta.
Thunderstorms were expected to continue in the area this weekend, specifically during afternoons and evenings, according to the weather service’s field office in Atlanta.
As of 3 p.m. on Saturday, 468 flights traveling out of and into Atlanta’s airport have been canceled and 540 have been delayed, according to FlightAware.com. Many of the flights are operated by Delta Air Lines, which is headquartered in the city’s airport.
“Delta people are working as safely and quickly as possible to recover flights impacted by thunderstorms, lightning, hail and winds at our Atlanta hub Friday night,” the airline said in a statement. “We thank our customers for their continued patience and understanding.”
Intense thunderstorms that impacted the airport, including with strong winds and quarter-inch hail, resulted in over 90 diversions to other airports in the Southeast, according to the airline. The severe weather also caused a pause in the Atlanta airport’s operations for safety reasons on Friday night.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Delta also said it expects additional delays and cancelations Saturday as teams work to reset aircraft and crew members get their rest. The airline has more than 900 daily scheduled flights from Atlanta’s airport.
