Flights to and from many of those islands were already cancelled, or were likely going to be. For Wednesday, about 85 flights – or more than 40% of the day’s schedule – had been grounded at San Juan’s airport, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware. The San Juan airport is the busiest in Puerto Rico.
On Tuesday, American Airlines canceled its normal schedules to the islands of St. Kitts and St. Maarten, but added flights earlier in the day to help people leave prior to Irma’s arrival.
Travelers should stay on top of Irma’s track and be prepared for widespread disruptions throughout the northern Caribbean. By the weekend, the storm appeared likely to affect South Florida and the Bahamas, though the precise track remained uncertain.
The hurricane will blast the northern Caribbean with flooding rain, damaging winds and rough surf over the next few days, AccuWeather warned, bringing life-threatening conditions to the islands.
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