CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As the Labor Day weekend comes to a close, travelers brace for the impact of Hurricane Dorian as it moves closer to the Carolinas.
At Charlotte Douglas International Airport, the flight status board displayed the word “canceled” next to many Florida and Bahamas destinations.
Marcia Morin from Delaware was in Charlotte over the weekend visiting family for the holiday weekend.
“My husband back home in Dover has been warning me for the past two days that it’s coming,” Morin said. “And ‘Get home, get home’ before the storm.”
Dan and Lisa Riso were in Charlotte visiting from Naples, Fla., but they decided to return home a day earlier due to the storm.
“We don’t want to be stuck here for another couple of days if it comes up the coast,” Lisa said, “Definitely get out early, it’s just not worth waiting till the last minute and always be safe.”
Officials with Charlotte Douglas International Airport are urging travelers to check with their airlines for the most up-to-date information on flights.
American Airlines issued a travel alert for more than 20 airports, including eight coastal airports in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The travel alert includes capped fares and waived baggage fees through September 7.
Airport operations have been suspended at seven airports in the Bahamas and Florida.
American Airlines anticipates a disruption to its operation throughout the week, specifically on flights that operate along the East Coast.
On the roads, mandatory evacuations for many coastal South Carolina counties started Monday.
State leaders decided to reverse eastbound lanes on I-26 between Charleston and Columbia about an hour and a half ahead of schedule after seeing roughly double the number of vehicles leaving the coast Monday morning.
Officials expected about 830,000 coastal residents and Labor Day tourists to pack the roads.
"That would have created gridlock and brought westbound traffic to a standstill possibly for hours,” South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster said.
At the North Carolina Welcome Center off I-77 North heading into the Charlotte region, several evacuees found a place to stretch their legs.
Ron and Karen McNealy had planned to spend several weeks at their place in Hilton Head but decided to return home to West Virginia after seeing the weather reports.
The couple got on the road early Monday to get ahead of the crowd.
"We just made sure we had enough food and stuff in the car just in case we got stuck on the highway, and get out before the traffic,” Ron said.
In North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper announced some coastal counties are announcing mandatory evacuations. He urges residents to pay attention to the evacuation orders from local leadership.
