Many flights to Florida canceled amid Hurricane Matthew
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) —
9:05 a.m.
Officials at Florida's major airports are monitoring conditions as Hurricane Matthew approaches Florida.
On its website, Fort Lauderdale International Airport announced plans to close at 10:30 a.m. Thursday. Officials advised travelers to check with individual airlines about flight plans.
At SFO all flights to Fort Lauderdale and Miami have been canceled.
In Miami, officials at Miami International Airport say they will continue monitoring the storm and warned of possible flight cancelations. On its website, officials noted that generally "airports don't' operate in sustained crosswinds that exceed 35 mph."
On Twitter, Miami airport officials said 341 arrivals and 305 departures had been canceled by mid-morning Thursday -- or about 90 percent of the daily flight schedule.
The Palm Beach International Airport website didn't' mention any flight suspensions but asked travelers to stay away.
In a note on its website, officials at Orlando International Airport say they plan to being "reducing flights into Orlando and altering schedules starting Thursday, lasting through Friday." They advised travelers to contact individual airlines for flight plans.
The Jacksonville International Airport website also advises travelers to check flight status with the airlines before heading to the airport.
9:05 a.m.
A motorist shot during an altercation with South Carolina deputies over a Hurricane Matthew evacuation route has died.
Berkeley County Chief Deputy Coroner George Oliver says 35-year-old Lucas M. Felkel of Moncks Corner died shortly after 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Sheriff Duane Lewis says it happened about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in Moncks Corner when a motorist came to a checkpoint, knocked down some traffic cones and sped off.
The sheriff says when deputies finally caught up with the driver a few miles away he pointed a gun at deputies and started shooting. The sheriff says the deputies shot back, wounding the man who was taken to the hospital, where he later died.
No deputies were wounded, but the sheriff says that four deputies have been placed on administrative leave.
The State Law Enforcement Division is investigating. The coroner says an autopsy is scheduled.
Officials at Florida's major airports are monitoring conditions as Hurricane Matthew bears down on Florida.
On its website, Fort Lauderdale International Airport announced plans to close at 10:30 a.m. Thursday. Officials advised travelers to check with individual airlines about flight plans.
In Miami, officials at Miami International Airport will continue monitoring the storm and warned of possible flight cancelations. On its website, officials noted that generally "airports don't' operate in sustained crosswinds that exceed 35 mph."
On Twitter, Miami airport officials said 341 arrivals and 305 departures had been canceled by mid-morning Thursday, "which is about 90% of our daily flight schedule." Officials also tweeted that "it's expected by noon most flights will stop flying," but the airport "technically remains `open' and ready for when flights resume."
The Palm Beach International Airport website doesn't say when flights will be suspended, but asked travelers to stay away, noting that the airport is not intended for use as a shelter.
In Orlando airport officials are preparing for hurricane conditions. In a note on its website, officials at Orlando International Airport say they plan to being "reducing flights into Orlando and altering schedules starting Thursday, lasting through Friday." They, too, advise travelers to get in contact with individual airlines for flight plans.
The Jacksonville International Airport website also advises travelers to check flight status with the airlines before heading to the airport.