Travelers journeying to or from the U.S. Gulf Coast, spanning from Texas to the Florida Panhandle, are advised to arrange alternative plans due to disruptions caused by Hurricane Francine.
The National Hurricane Center predicts that Francine will strike Louisiana by Wednesday evening.
The primary hazards from this storm are critical storm surges, perilous coastal conditions, and intense winds.
Significant disruptions to travel along the Gulf Coast are expected to peak Wednesday afternoon into the evening, with ongoing effects anticipated into Thursday.
Delta, American Airlines, United, and Southwest are providing vouchers or options for rebooking without additional charges for passengers affected by the storm at several airports.
As the storm approaches, significant delays and cancellations are affecting flights, particularly at Houston, New Orleans, and Mobile international airports, as per reports from Flightaware.com.
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport will continue operations until weather conditions are deemed unsafe, according to airport authorities.
By noon on Wednesday, over 140 flights have been either cancelled or delayed at New Orleans airport.
More airports along the U.S. Gulf Coast will experience delays or cancellations due to Francine, impacting locations such as Corpus Christi and Brownsville in Texas, and Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, and Lafayette in Louisiana.
Additional disruptions are expected for flights to and from Mobile, Alabama, and Biloxi, Mississippi.
Delays may also affect flights from other regions of the country, including routes from the western U.S. to Miami or Atlanta.
Flight schedules across the Gulf Coast are anticipated to normalize by Thursday.
Francine is also impacting cruise line travel along the Texas and Louisiana coasts, home to major ports.
Two ports at the Port of New Orleans are closed on Wednesday, including the New Orleans Terminal and Ports America, including the LA Ave. Chassis Terminal.
Cruisemummy.com reports Carnival Valor and Carnival Liberty were set to sail from New Orleans on Wednesday.
“Guests and travel advisor partners are encouraged to monitor text and email advisories about our operational plans for Carnival Valor’s Sept. 12 cruise. Guests can sign up for alerts by texting CCL1 to CRUISE (278473),” Carnival Cruise Line wrote in an update.
Royal Caribbean has two ships that might be affected by Francine.
On Thursday, residual effects from Francine could be experienced in the South as the remnants of the storm are predicted to move north into the U.S. through Alabama, Arkansas, and Tennessee.