Page 25 - AAA 24 MAART 2016
P. 25
U.S. NEWS A3
Thursday 24 March 2016
Denver airport reopens after powerful blizzard moves east
BY COLLEEN SLEVIN passengers to escape to power lines and snapped snow day in Wyoming as ty Executive Director Aimee
ASSOCIATED PRESS town, airport spokeswom- them into one another, Democratic presidential Van Cleave said it’s disap-
DENVER (AP) -- A power- an Stacey Stegman said. causing many outages and candidate Bernie Sand- pointing that the events
ful spring blizzard stranded Meanwhile, restaurants ex- flickering lights in Colorado ers and former President had to be canceled but
travelers at Denver’s airport tended hours and some will and Wyoming. Bill Clinton both canceled she was hopeful that both
and shut down hundreds of be open all night for crowds The storm was mainly hitting planned campaign events campaigns could resched-
miles of highway in Colo- in the state. ule visits before the April 9
rado, Wyoming and Ne- Wyoming Democratic Par- party caucuses.q
braska as it spread into the
Midwest on Wednesday. A pedestrian walks through snow covered trees at Colorado
Snow blown by gusts up College on Wednesday, March 23, 2016, in Colorado Springs,
to around 50 mph made it Colo.
unsafe for planes to land or
take off at Denver Interna- Associated Press
tional Airport, leading offi-
cials to close it around mid- of stranded travelers. the eastern, flat halves of
day. The airport reopened Hundreds of people with those states, shutting down
about seven hours later. suitcases and duffel bags long stretches of highways.
Airport spokesman Heath stood or lay around the “It’s pretty much kicking
Montgomery says two of terminals. Some travelers our hineys,” Tim McGary of
the six runways are open, leaned against walls, bags the Wyoming Department
and the airport will be fully strewn at their feet, as oth- of Transportation said. “It’s
operational by Thursday ers charged their phones. bad enough we can’t
morning. Some passed the time by keep up with it. That’s why
More than 1,300 of hanging out at the airport’s everything is closed.”
Wednesday’s 1,500 sched- bars and restaurants. Highway officials issued
uled flights were canceled, Alicia Bailey was headed a rare order for drivers to
he said. back to Atlanta after a stay off interstates in the
The closure came hours business trip in Colorado Denver area unless they
after long flight delays Springs. She had a treach- have chains, snow tires or
caused by power outages erous, white-knuckle, four- four-wheel drive vehicles to
at the airport’s fuel depot hour drive to the airport avoid causing accidents.
and deicing supply and only to learn her flight was Normally, that’s a warn-
the cancellation of about delayed several times and ing issued for drivers in the
a third of the airport’s daily then finally canceled. mountains.
flights. “I had a nice little cock- In Wyoming, the Cheyenne
tail, and that calmed the Veterans Affairs Medical
The last time a blizzard nerves down because I Center, which serves veter-
closed the airport was in was frazzled,” she said. ans who live up to 150 miles
2006, for two days. The wind and the heavy, away, opened its doors
The system is moving to the wet snow typical for a late because of the storm.
northeast across the Plains spring storm weighed down Even politics has to take a
and into Michigan. The
worst effects of the storm
were expected later in the
day in South Dakota, but
strong winds were in the
forecast all day.
In Denver, the road to the
airport was also impassable
for much of the day be-
cause of blowing snow. The
road reopened Wednes-
day afternoon, allowing
