Some Airports Closed, Others Just Now Beginning To Reopen

As Florida dusted itself off from its latest hurricane encounter, airports across the state began to open for the first time since the mammoth storm forced their closure over the weekend.

Not a lot of planes were in the air, however. The FAA issued an unprecedented NOTAM urging pilots statewide to stay on the ground or at least avoid "common knowledge disaster areas" because so many rotor craft were involved in recovery operations.

Airports in Fort Lauderdale, Martin County, Miami, Palm Beach, Orlando and Tampa reopened Monday. In Tallahassee, however, the international airport remained closed as Frances once again lumbered ashore in the panhandle.

While reports of damage are still coming in, authorities statewide said Hurricane Frances wasn't as devastating as Hurricane Charley just three weeks earlier.

Melbourne International Airport reopened to emergency traffic only on Monday, as officials declared the runways free of debris or damage. The passenger terminal, however, reportedly sustained moderate damage -- including roof damage -- as the worst of Hurricane Frances passed overhead. But the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported the worst of the damage was on the GA section, on the north side of the airport. The paper reports high winds ripped the siding from the control tower and caused severe damage to several hangars on the north side. Corporate hangars on the south side also reported damage.

Wind damage was also reported at the GA airport in Deland, where at least one aircraft was flipped over in the hurricane.

The AOPA's web site quoted ASN volunteer Robert Wood, chairman of the US Aviation Expo Advisory Board, who said, "The center of circulation of Hurricane Frances passed about eight miles north of KSEF. We had a full blast of northern, western, and southern winds over a 24-hour period. The airport sustained only minor, cosmetic damage. The new terminal has a bit of roof damage, though not significant. Other than that, it appears that only a couple of older World War II non-used buildings lost some roofing." There was no reported damage to aircraft or hangars, according to the AOPA web site.

Wood didn't indicate whether the US Aviation Expo, slated for the last weekend in October, will go on as scheduled.

(The above image of the overturned aircraft at Deland was shot by Christina Burke and used with permission from the Daytona Beach News-Journal -- ed.)

FMI: www.sebring-airport.com, www.nhc.noaa.gov