Thunderstorms in Houston triggered ground stops at the city’s two main airports on July 13. George Bush Intercontinental Airport initiated its ground stop shortly after 11:20 a.m., set to last until 12:45 p.m. William P. Hobby Airport followed with a ground stop starting just before 11:30 a.m., scheduled to remain until 1 p.m.
Delays at George Bush Intercontinental Airport have increased rapidly, averaging about 45 minutes currently, with departure delays rising from none before the ground stop to about 35 minutes on average during the stoppage. At William P. Hobby Airport, delays jumped sharply from an average of 12 minutes
to 49 minutes after the ground stop began. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reported a 30 to 60 percent chance that these ground stops could be extended.
Flight Aware data ranks Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport as the U.S. airport with the highest number of delayed or canceled flights today, totaling 132. George Bush Intercontinental Airport holds the third highest count with 54 affected flights, while William P. Hobby Airport is among the top 10 with 24 delayed or canceled flights.
The National Weather Service in Houston attributes these disruptions to a severe “deep tropical airmass” engulfing southeast Texas, producing
thunderstorms that forced operational halts. A reduction in rainfall is forecast to develop later this evening.
