Air Traffic Control Tower Evacuated at Atlanta Airport Due to Severe Storms

The air traffic control tower at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was evacuated Tuesday morning as severe thunderstorms moved through the region, leading to ground stops during one of the busiest travel periods before Thanksgiving.

The evacuation occurred around 8:45 a.m. local time, prompted by worsening weather conditions, according to a statement from the FAA. “During this time, the Atlanta Terminal Radar Approach Control Facility managed the airspace, and operations at the tower resumed approximately ten minutes later,” the statement noted.

Significant storms were affecting the airport, and pilots had been advised to communicate their locations on a general radio frequency. Reports indicated that the control tower had closed temporarily due to the severe weather.

In an update, the FAA confirmed that the evacuation lasted about 10 minutes, and operations resumed around 8:55 a.m. local time.

The NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center had previously issued a Level 2 severe thunderstorm risk for parts of Mississippi and Alabama, with a 5% chance of tornadoes in that area. They also mentioned that daytime warming could contribute to the development of more severe storms later in the afternoon.

The threat of severe weather remains for parts of Atlanta and Georgia as a whole.

According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), about 81.8 million Americans were expected to travel more than 50 miles for Thanksgiving, marking this day as the busiest travel holiday of the year.