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Northeast Storms Trigger Tornado Watch, Massive Flight Cancellations

7/22/2026

Summary

SPC Tornado Watch

The Storm Prediction Center issued a tornado watch at 2:05 p.m. on July 21, 2026 for Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York.
FlightAware reported LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy International and Newark Liberty airports canceled 599 flights and delayed 514 flights on Tuesday.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged residents to stay indoors during thunder or heavy rain and move to upper floors if flooding starts.

Summary

FAA Grounds Airports

United will waive rebooking fees for July 20-23 2026 flights that match cabin and city pair.
American Airlines will email or app-notify affected passengers, requiring rebooking by Wednesday and travel by Friday.
JetBlue offers flexible rebooking through Sunday or refunds to the original payment method after the storms.
The FAA imposed ground stops at eight U.S. airports and Toronto Pearson, citing staffing shortages and traffic-management technology as limiting recovery.

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SPC Tornado Watch

The Storm Prediction Center issued a tornado watch at 2:05 p.m. on July 21, 2026 for Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York.
FlightAware reported LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy International and Newark Liberty airports canceled 599 flights and delayed 514 flights on Tuesday.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged residents to stay indoors during thunder or heavy rain and move to upper floors if flooding starts.

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