Dozens Of Flights Canceled, Delayed At Midway, O'Hare As Idalia Slams Florida

CHICAGO — Dozens of flights bound for Chicago from Florida airports were canceled or delayed Wednesday as Hurricane Idalia slammed the state with wind and rain.

As of mid-afternoon, many flights Wednesday from Orlando, Tampa, Miami, Fort Myers and several other Florida airports were expected not to reach O’Hare and Midway at their scheduled times. Outbound flights from Chicago to Florida were being affected as well.

Idalia made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane at 7:45 a.m. in the lightly populated Big Bend region, where the Florida Panhandle curves into the peninsula.

Two deaths were reported Wednesday in connection with the storm and hundreds of thousands of Floridians were left without power.

Jennifer and Christopher Manyek told WLS they had been honeymooning in Orlando but decided to come home early.

"We came three hours early right when it hit at 9 a.m. in Florida; we came at 6 o'clock this morning to get home,” Manyek told the outlet. “Otherwise we'd probably be delayed.”