Flights canceled, vacations cut short by Hurricane Matthew

Destinations in Florida are the starting point for many vacations including Disney World, theme parks or cruises. Travelers at RDU heading anywhere but Florida were in good shape Thursday, but almost 3,800 flights were canceled because of the storm.

Gregg Simmons was waiting at the airport Thursday to pick up his wife, who had to cut her trip short because of the storm.

“She had a trip planned with her brother to go up to Acadia National Park to take pictures of all the leaves changing,” Simmons said. “He’s from St. Augustine, Florida and so they’re in the target of this storm right now and he got a frantic call from his wife saying he’d better come on home.”

St. Augustine is a small community on Florida’s Atlantic coast. Simmons said he heard from his brother-in-law, who safely evacuated inland with his family.

The Mayberry family also had to cut their Disney World vacation short when the park in Orlando closed until further notice earlier Thursday for only the fourth time in its 45 year history. The family caught one of the last flights out of Orlando before the airport closed at about 8 p.m.

Flights to Florida are expected to resume Friday, but travelers should check with their airline before heading to the airport.