TAMPA, Fla. — On one of the busiest travel days of the year, patience is a virtue.
On Sunday, Tampa International Airport saw a steady stream of travelers arriving to or departing from the airport.
Luckily, Greg Stone is a patient man, and he has to be.
He’s waited months to see his daughter and two grandchildren who live in Sydney, Australia.
“We haven’t seen them since July, since the baby was born,” he said. “So here we are, and she’s due in about 20 minutes.”
He’s not the only one who will soon be spending Thanksgiving with family.
Tampa International Airport expects to break a record over the next few days: roughly 80,000 passengers through the airport each day.
TPA is urging passengers to arrive early, book parking ahead of time, and expect long lines.
But, it’s not just the air— roads will be busy too.
According to AAA, more than 4.5 million Floridians will travel for the Thanksgiving holiday — which would be a new record.
Back at TPA, Stone’s patience was finally rewarded Sunday. His daughter and two grandkids arrived after a 20 hour flight.
“Hi, beautiful! You made it all the way from Australia!” he said, as he snatched up his grandson, 4, for a hug. “That’s amazing.”
All that waiting made that moment — and this upcoming Thanksgiving — so much sweeter.
A state report says hundreds of frail elderly nursing home residents were stacked side by side, head to toe in a small church with no working air conditioning or refrigerator during Hurricane Helene.