Almost 500 flights traveling into and out of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport have been canceled due to severe weather impacting the Atlanta metropolitan area.
On Friday night, a long-lasting cluster of storms produced torrential rainfall across much of the Atlanta area, according to the National Weather Service field office in the city.
The heavy rainfall resulted in significant flash flooding in the area surrounding the airport, as well as Grant Park, College Park and Forest Park.
A video posted to social media showed travelers who were stuck at the airport amid delays and cancelations sitting on the floor as some other travelers slept. Another video on X depicted lightning illuminating the sky in Hampton, a suburb south of Atlanta.
Thunderstorms were expected to continue in the area this weekend, specifically during afternoons and evenings, according to the weather service’s field office in Atlanta.
As of 4 p.m. on Saturday, 478 flights traveling out of and into Atlanta’s airport have been canceled and 617 have been delayed, according to FlightAware.com. Many of the flights are operated by Delta Air Lines, which is headquartered in the city’s airport.
“Delta people are working as safely and quickly as possible to recover flights impacted by thunderstorms, lightning, hail and winds at our Atlanta hub Friday night,” the airline said in a statement. “We thank our customers for their continued patience and understanding.”
Intense thunderstorms that impacted the airport, including with strong winds and quarter-inch hail, resulted in over 90 diversions to other airports in the Southeast on Friday, according to the airline. The severe weather also caused a pause in the Atlanta airport’s operations for safety reasons on Friday night.
The Federal Aviation Administration evacuated the airport’s control tower due to strong winds, the administration said in a statement to NBC News Saturday morning.
“A few controllers remained in the facility to handle inbound aircraft,” the FAA said.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Delta also said it expects additional delays and cancelations Saturday as teams work to reset aircraft and crew members get their rest. The airline has more than 900 daily scheduled flights from Atlanta’s airport.
