FAA orders Charlotte airport ground stop for strong storms
Storms are inflicting havoc for schedules at Charlotte Douglas International Airport Monday, March 16.
Charlotte Douglas International Airport
The FAA has issued a ground stop Monday at Charlotte’s airport amid a threat of severe storms and a tornado warning in the region.
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Around 10 a.m., the tracking site FlightAware reported 303 cancellations and 159 delays at the terminal, for a total of 462 flight disruptions at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
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The ground stop was issued at 8:29 a.m. and lasts at least until 10 a.m., the FAA said. Monday’s storm also impacted the Atlanta region, with a ground stop issued for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
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Tornado warning for the Charlotte area
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While steady showers began earlier this morning, the National Weather Service expects the heaviest impacts to hit around 10 a.m. In fact, a Tornado Warning is in place for the Charlotte region until 10:15 a.m. Monday due to a front of severe thunderstorms, the National Weather Service says.
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Tornado Warnings mean a threat was indicated on radar, forecasters say.
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The 13-county region is also under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 11 a.m., and the storms could last “several hours,” the NWS said.
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Forecasters warn that the primary threats include damaging winds and isolated tornadoes, though hail remains a possibility throughout the morning. Small hail was reported in the University area of Charlotte.
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This is a developing story
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This story was initially revealed March 16, 2026 at 9:35 AM.
The Charlotte Observer
Chase Jordan is a enterprise reporter for The Charlotte Observer, and has practically a decade of expertise overlaying information in North Carolina. Prior to becoming a member of the Observer, he was a progress and improvement reporter for the Wilmington StarNews. The Kansas City native is a graduate of Bethune-Cookman University.
