Roadways at the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport have reopened after overnight flooding partly blocked a terminal and thunderstorms halted incoming flights on Thursday.
Access to the McNamara Terminal has been restored, airport authorities said Thursday afternoon.
Both the northbound and southbound tunnels on Dingell Drive have reopened, according to an airport spokesperson. However, the Federal Aviation Administration said the airport is still experiencing ground delays as a result of the prior ground stop.
Three inches of rain fell on the airport over about five hours, according to the National Weather Service, causing some flooding. In particular, travelers could not access the McNamara Terminal at the airport due to flooding in the Dingell Drive tunnels, the airport said earlier.
“Some roadways at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport remain closed due to the storms overnight,” the airport said earlier. “The sheer amount of rain in a short period of time is the primary driver for flooding at DTW.”
About 18% of flights originating at the airport were canceled on Thursday, according to tracking site Flight Aware. While the cancellations are affecting multiple carriers, Delta Air Lines has been particularly hard hit with 96 flights canceled.
Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) is a major hub for both Delta and Spirit and has more than 1,100 flights per day, according to its website.
The rain is connected to a broader risk of severe storms and flooding in the Great Lakes area.
A level 2 of 4 risk for flooding extends from Ohio into Pennsylvania, and the threat for severe storms includes over 40 million people over the Great Lakes, including Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland, where more strong to severe storms are expected.
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