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Northern snow strands thousands in Florida
MIAMI, Florida (AP) -- Thousands of travelers were stranded in Florida on Monday because their destination airports farther north were closed by the blizzard battering the mid-Atlantic states. About 40 flights -- 15 percent of those scheduled -- could not depart Monday from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, stranding about 5,000 passengers. Thousands more were stranded at Miami International Airport. Roughly 4,500 travelers were stuck at Tampa International Airport. Most of Orlando International Airport's 50 flights to and from the Northeast were canceled. The major airports at Philadelphia and Washington were closed Monday except for one runway at Washington Dulles International Airport. New York's LaGuardia closed all its runways; Newark and Kennedy officially stayed open but almost all domestic flights were scrapped. Amtrak suspended East Coast service between Washington and Richmond, Virginia. "This is the most cancellations I have seen in years," Fort Lauderdale airport spokesman Jim Reynolds said. Many Florida airports recommended that passengers find hotels to spend a few extra days in the state. Robert and Elizabeth Huffman had been returning to Washington after a trip to the Bahamas, but their connecting flight out of Miami International was canceled. "We are not going anywhere," Elizabeth Huffman said. "Everything's canceled until Wednesday, which I find hard to believe." Her husband found an alternative. "We are thinking about going to the beach for the day," he said with a smile. Miami International spokeswoman Inson Kim said the airport kept restaurants open late Sunday and early Monday to feed stranded passengers. The airport is a major hub connecting South America and the Caribbean with the rest of the United States. The same broad weather system that spread snow across the Ohio Valley and from Virginia into southern New England also produced scattered rain Monday throughout Florida. In the 24 hours that ended at 7 a.m. Monday, Jacksonville reported 1.27 inches of rain, and Tampa and St. Petersburg reported about an inch. Tornadoes were reported in northern Florida and southern Georgia. Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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