Thousands Of Flights Canceled After Tornado Warnings, Disrupting Post-Holiday Travel Across US

Severe weather is wreaking havoc on post-holiday travel, affecting millions of travelers trying to return home this weekend. With storms sweeping across the country, thousands of flights have been either canceled or delayed, leaving passengers stranded and causing widespread disruptions at airports throughout the U.S. The ongoing weather challenges are making an already busy travel period even more stressful for those hoping to make it back after the holidays.

On Saturday, more than 7,000 flights in the U.S. were delayed, and over 200 were canceled, according to the tracking site FlightAware. The widespread disruptions were caused by severe weather conditions affecting airports across the country. According to FlightAware, about a third of the flights were delayed at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. Nearly half of the flights departing from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in Texas and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, were also delayed due to the severe weather.

Meanwhile, one person was killed in northern Brazoria County, Texas, where four others sustained non-critical injuries due to the severe weather. Officials report that many homes and schools have been severely damaged or destroyed due to the storms.

The severe storm threat will persist across the South for several days, with the National Weather Service forecasting a potential tornado outbreak. In addition to tornadoes, damaging winds, large hail, and heavy rainfall are expected to affect the region throughout the weekend.

The National Weather Service cautioned that the strongest tornadoes could occur late Saturday afternoon into the evening, as severe weather continues to impact the region. The storms are set to batter California's coast with massive waves. The latest storm in the series is expected to make landfall on Saturday, bringing dangerously high waves and strong rip currents along the West Coast, creating hazardous conditions for swimmers.

The tornado threat has now moved eastward, with storms expected to impact Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia. However, the severe weather threat is anticipated to diminish by Sunday. Forecasters have predicted that between four to six inches of rain are expected to fall before New Year's Eve, with up to 3 feet of snow expected in Lake Tahoe.

Tornadoes are generally less common in December, but this year has seen an above-average number of occurrences. As of December 26, there have been 1,777 reported tornadoes, significantly surpassing the usual figures for the month.