Over 100 Flights In Puerto Rico Canceled Amid Hurricane Fiona's Onslaught

KEY POINTS

Puerto Rico's busiest airport, SJU, canceled a total of 83 flights Sunday
Some flights from other Puerto Rican airports were also canceled due to Hurricane Fiona
As of Sunday evening, more than 1.4 million Puerto Ricans were out of power

More than a hundred flights from Puerto Rico were canceled Sunday as Hurricane Fiona slammed into the island, knocking out power and causing "catastrophic" flooding in the area. The highest number of canceled flights from the island Sunday was recorded at Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport (SJU) in Carolina.

According to data from real-time flight tracking company FlightAware, a total of 83 flights were canceled at the SJU on Sunday, accounting for a 73% cancelation rate on the day's total scheduled flights. The flight tracker also revealed that 81 of the total canceled flights Sunday were going into the island. Furthermore, five flights going in and out of the airport were delayed.

Approximate rainfall from Fiona as of 0000 UTC (9 PM AST, 8 PM EDT) across Puerto Rico via USGS rain gauges.https://t.co/Oudz3x9riZ https://t.co/X7AtJ0kOU9 pic.twitter.com/WcWkcx2a38
— NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) September 19, 2022

Known as the largest and busiest airport in the territory, SJU is the hub for various airlines such as JetBlue, Cape Air, American Airlines, Nantucket Airlines and more.

In Eugenio Maria de Hostos Airport (MAZ), a total of 8 flights were canceled as of Sunday evening, data from FlightAware showed. The said airport is located four miles north of the Puerto Rican coastal city of Mayaguez and was designated as a public-use airport.

At the Rafael Hernandez Airport (BQN) in Aguadilla, 12 flights were canceled Sunday. Named after Puerto Rican composer Rafael Hernandez Marin, the BQN airport is recognized as the island's second-largest international airport in terms of passenger traffic.

The Antonio Rivera Rodriguez Airport (VQS) in Vieques canceled 8 flights as of Sunday evening. According to the airport's official website, the airline facility is an "important part of the economy since most of the island's revenue is derived from tourism."

The Mercedita Airport (PSE) in Ponce, which has only one runway but is considered the third largest airline facility in Puerto Rico in terms of commercial passenger activity, canceled 6 flights Sunday.

The flight cancelations came as Hurricane Fiona made landfall on the southwestern coast of the island territory Sunday afternoon. Forecasters are expecting up to 25 inches of rain as the storm continues to bring heavy rain through Monday.

More than 1.4 million have no power in Puerto Rico as of writing, data from Poweroutage.us revealed.

Hurricane #Fiona may produce 12 to 18 inches with a local maximum of 30 inches in Puerto Rico, particularly across the eastern and southern portions of the island. These rainfall amounts will produce catastrophic
life-threatening flash floods and urban flooding. pic.twitter.com/dy95w7bGGh
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 18, 2022

The National Hurricane Center warned that rains brought by Hurricane Fiona "will continue to produce life-threatening and catastrophic flash and urban flooding across Puerto Rico and the eastern Dominican Republic."

The agency said residents should expect mudslides and landslides in areas around the territory with higher terrain. A Hurricane Warning is also in place for the entire island as well as the coast of the Dominican Republic, and the Turks and Caicos islands.