Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport experienced several flight cancellations and delays Thursday evening as Hurricane Helene moved quickly, growing into a Category 4 storm and expected to make landfall in Florida’s Panhandle.
Upcoming flights from Miami, Newark, New Jersey; New York City and Chicago have been canceled and seven other arriving flights have been delayed. On Thursday evening, only one departing flight was delayed.
Lori Lynah, the airport’s director of marketing and air service development, said Thursday evening that she does not expect widespread flight cancellations until Friday.
At 6:20 p.m. Thursday, Helene intensified into a Category 4 hurricane. The storm was located 120 miles (190 kilometers) west of Tampa, Florida, and was moving toward the north-northeast at nearly 23 miles (37 kilometers) per hour, with sustained winds of 130 miles (210 kilometers) per hour. per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center advisory.
A tornado watch was issued for Beaufort County around 8:35 a.m. Thursday morning and was set to expire at 1:15 a.m. Friday. The province is also under a tropical storm watch Thursday until 7:15 p.m.
The Lowcountry will likely experience high winds, heavy rain, possible tornadoes and rough seas.
