Long lines at MIA as bad weather threatens to snarl travel plans across US ahead of Thanksgiving

By Jack Royer and Rubén Rosario

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    MIAMI (WSVN) — Bad weather sweeping across parts of the country is threatening to snarl travel plans for those taking to the roads and the skies ahead of Thanksgiving, and South Florida was no exception.

7News cameras on Saturday captured long lines at Miami International Airport, as travelers braced for a messy holiday.

“So we’re going to Turks and Caicos for Thanksgiving,” said traveler Kate Hansalman. “So far, it’s been really smooth. I mean, I think we’re ahead of schedule enough that we’re probably not hitting too much of the holiday traffic, which is nice, but I assume probably later this week, it will get busier.”

In some cities, it absolutely is busy, and the inclement weather isn’t helping — like snow in Northern California that was spurred by an atmospheric river.

At San Francisco International Airport, the arrivals area was flooded, as the Golden State continues to see unusual November rainfall levels.

More than 20 inches of rain fell on parts of Sonoma County, according to the National Weather Service. That’s over 300% of normal rainfall for November.

“We’ve got several more days of this, so any major cleanup, or the bigger cleanup, will have to be after the storm passes,” said Karen Hancock with the Sonoma County Fire District.

More winter alerts were issued Saturday for parts of the western U.S. This comes just days after a bomb cyclone pummeled the Pacific Northwest.

Some residents there are still recovering, like Karen Foley, who has been living out of her car after her home was damaged by the storms.

“Well, it was horrible. I mean, I heard probably six trees fall around me,” she said.

In the eastern part of the country, drivers have been dealing with treacherous conditions on the roads. In West Virginia, some counties are under winter storm warnings. Some areas could see two feet of snow by Saturday night.

All of this extreme weather comes as Americans head into the biggest travel week of the year.

“When it comes to holiday travel, Thanksgiving is the big one,” said Jillian Young, Director of Public Relations for AAA Northeast.

AAA estimates nearly 80 million people will travel 50 miles or more this week, a new record, and Thanksgiving is likely to bring more storms for much of the East Coast.

Experts recommend always having an emergency kit inside vehicles, and they advise air travelers to prepare for delays.

It is, after all, the busiest travel week of the year. The Transportation Security Administration expects a record-breaking 18 million-plus passengers will fly between this coming Tuesday and Dec. 2.

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