Passengers at Harry Reid Airport have to deal with strong winds causing flight delays
More than 600 flights out of Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport were delayed Sunday due to high winds.
An estimated 716 return flights were delayed at the airport as of 6 p.m. Sunday, according to data from flight tracking service FlightAware. Eight flights were canceled, Las Vegas television station KTNV reported.
Passengers on the departing Harry Reid faced a 165-minute delay late Sunday afternoon, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Winds recorded in Clark County were 35 to 45 mph. Wind gusts were in excess of 50 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). North Las Vegas Airport recorded wind gusts of 62 mph.
Many people left after the racing event
Among those delayed at Harry Reid Airport were many of the roughly 100,000 tourists attending the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix over the weekend. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) estimates that 98,000 passengers will leave Harry Reid after the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.
In addition to wind, airport spokesman Joe Rajchel blamed the delays on the large number of private and commercial passengers following the game, the Review-Journal reported.
What we saw was a lot of traffic trying to leave,” Rajchel said.
Sandstorm
Wind-related dust storms also caused temporary closures of Interstate 15 South near Primm and Stateline, Nevada, on Sunday afternoon.
The highway was closed early Sunday and reopened at 12:20 p.m. Delays are expected for the remainder of Sunday.
The National Weather Service also issued a dust storm warning for the area between Primm and Pass Mountain. That includes north-central San Bernardino County and southwestern Clark County, including Interstate 15.
Visibility is close to zero at times. Later in the day, authorities reported visibility of less than a quarter of a mile. A warning to avoid traveling in the area was issued on Sunday.
Airport links reopen
It comes after the Harry Reid Airport terminal was closed on Saturday following an incident involving three vehicles. A car overturned on the highway.
Traffic was brought to a standstill on all northbound lanes of the connector for a period of time on Saturday. It was only 11:15 p.m. One of the northbound lanes was reopened Saturday and traffic was still flowing.
When a driver needs to board a plane or pick up a passenger, it takes extra time to get to the airport.
The accident also resulted in minor injuries. No one was hospitalized.
A driver believed to be responsible for the crash fled the scene, according to police.
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Source: www.casino.org
