Severe weather hit parts of North Texas Thursday morning as travelers started heading home after Christmas. Thunderstorms prompted several warnings and forced the FAA to issue ground stops at DFW Airport and Love Field.
"We had to hold in the air for a little while," one woman arriving at DFW from Miami said. "It wasn't too bad."
"She was supposed to be back here at 7 this morning, and she's not here yet [at 11 am]," a man picking up his fiance on a flight from Houston said.
The FAA said delays could continue through the afternoon as airlines had planes out of place, so the organization urges people with travel plans to keep watching their airline's app and for notifications about changes.
The Texas Division of Emergency Management activated state resources Thursday as storms led to severe thunderstorm and tornado watches across much of East and Southeast Texas.
"Texas is prepared to deploy all necessary resources to help local officials respond to severe weather threats," Governor Abbott wrote in a statement. “As Texans and out-of-state visitors begin traveling after the Christmas holiday, it’s crucial that everyone regularly monitor road conditions, make an emergency plan, and heed the guidance of state and local officials. I thank all the emergency response personnel for their work this holiday week as they help their fellow Texans during these storms.”
In that email, Abbott's office urged those with travel plans to check TexasReady.gov for severe weather safety tips, road conditions at DriveTexas.org and disaster preparedness information at tdem.texas.gov/prepare.
The Division of Emergency Management says the announcement activates Texas A&M Task Force 1 for swiftwater boat rescues. Texas A&M Extension Service has urban search and rescue teams on standby, and the Department of State Health Services has prepared severe weather packages.
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