Travel nightmare across the northeast as severe weather causes hundreds of flight cancellations and delays

"Delta flight 1122 was still being described as on time when boarding began around 12:15 p.m. But amid torrential rain and whipping winds, passengers spent around three hours slowly crawling along the airport taxiways. Business Insider editor in chief Jamie Heller was onboard and described the scene like a "sports showdown" on the airplane. For Heller, retreat was the better option. "Never will I be happier to be at LaGuardia than when I deboard this aircraft," she wrote."

"Meanwhile, her nearby neighbor, Frank Granati from eastern Long Island, was gunning for a completed trip, even if delayed, with one of his goals to spend Halloween with his granddaughter, whom he called "three and a half going on thirty." "I knew I shouldn't have texted her and said pappa bear is coming," he said when the flight's fate was uncertain."

Severe weather at LaGuardia produced torrential rain and high winds that left aircraft crawling taxiways for hours and caused widespread cancellations and delays. One Delta flight sat on taxiways for about three hours while passengers debated deplaning or remaining onboard; the airline returned the plane to the gate to allow deplaning in compliance with federal three-hour rules. Passengers who stayed eventually departed and arrived hours late. FlightAware reported hundreds of cancellations and delays at LaGuardia that evening. Airlines prioritize safety and often ground flights or return planes to gates when weather creates hazardous conditions.

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