ORLANDO, Fla. – Ahead of Hurricane Florence, more than a dozen flights across Central Florida have been delayed or canceled as the Carolinas are bracing for heavy winds and severe flooding.
Orlando International Airport officials with the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority said as of Thursday afternoon, 10 flights have been delayed or canceled to or from the East Coast. The Orlando Sanford International Airport say four flights have been impacted.
Passenger Marj Droppa spent the last few days in Orlando at a work convention was leaving early to avoid getting stuck in Orlando.
"It YUSA’s women’s leadership conference and it was amazing. It was worth coming for," said Droppa.
Droppa said she wanted to leave Orlando early and head back home to New Hampshire.
"I’m taking off," said Droppa. "I was hoping to be able to see out the rest of the conference, but I got worried that I’m going to get stuck somewhere on route."
Airport officials are urging passengers this weekend to be alert.
"I think this weekend it would be very wise to check with your airline before you flew, just to make sure that routes are still navigable for the airlines, and they’re going to operate them," said Tom Draper, the senior operations director at the Orlando International Airport.
A cruise ship bound for Bermuda was diverted to Port Canaveral Wednesday because of Hurricane Florence. The more than 2,200 passengers are heading back to Baltimore Friday morning after a long vacation, including an unplanned stop at Port Canaveral.
Just interviewed this family from North Carolina. They came to Cocoa Beach to escape Hurricane Florence. You’ll hear their story on @news6wkmg at 5:30 pic.twitter.com/ZQmGG2kNPE
— Jerry Askin (@JerryAskinNews6) September 13, 2018
Also, Thursday at the Cocoa Beach Pier, vacationers, including a few evacuees were making the best of a sunny day in Central Florida.
Alyssa Lee said for her family of four, their vacation down to Cocoa Beach this week was twofold.
"I’ve never been to Florida before, so it was kind of perfect timing," said Lee.
They’re from New Bern, North Carolina, and came down Tuesday because of Hurricane Florence.
"It was really scary, especially with me having kids and the power being out and just the winds and all that," said Lee.