FAA Issues Ground Stop for NYC Airport as Major Flooding Delays Flights

Historic rainfall in New York City has affected flights and travel at the city's airports and public transportation.

New York City was drowning in a deluge of rain on Friday, forcing airport terminals to close, delaying flights for hours, and flooding public transportation.

The rain, which has been pelting the New York-area for days, picked up Friday, forcing the National Weather Service to issue a flash flood warning for Brooklyn and Queens, where two of New York’s major airports are located. Overall, Friday was the wettest September day on record with more than 6 inches of rain falling since midnight, according to preliminary data from the NWS, surpassing the former record set during Hurricane Donna in 1960.

By Friday afternoon, LaGuardia Airport (LGA) had closed Terminal A “until further notice” and warned “All #LGA ticketed passengers should confirm their flight status prior to traveling to the airport.” Terminal A is home to flights with Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines, according to the airport.

During the day, ground stops for both LGA and John F. Kennedy Aiport (JFK) were issued ground stops that have both been lifted.

Video taken from inside the airport showed a thick layer of water coating the floor by airline counters with travelers trudging through, according to NBC New York.

New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport remained open, but warned: “Weather conditions have caused JFK Airport flight disruptions. Please check with your airline to determine the status of your flight.” The airport was experiencing average delays of more than three hours due to the rain, according to the FAA.

In total, more than 3,700 flights had been delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Friday and more than 490 had been canceled, according to flight tracker FlightAware. Of those, Southwest Airlines delayed more than 900 flights.

LaGuardia was responsible for the largest share of cancellations with more than 140, followed by JFK, which canceled more than 70 outbound flights.

Beyond the airports, New York’s public transportation was under water with service for both the subway system and Metro-North railroad (which serves the area north of the city) “severely disrupted due to heavy rain and flooding,” according to the MTA.

“Please stay home if you don't need to travel,” the agency wrote in a statement. “If you must head out, use extra caution and check service status before you go.”

For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.