Motorists travel westbound along Interstate 40, Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee. A record number of Americans are expected to hit the sidewalk during the 2024 Memorial Day holiday. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
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America is back, baby.
Airports and roadways are expected to be crowded over Memorial Day weekend, making up for travel lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new analysis from AAA. But severe and potentially destructive storms forecast for the Plains, Midwest and South Central during Memorial Day weekend could spoil the fun.
AAA projects that 43.8 million people will travel 50 miles or more from home from Thursday, May 23 through Monday, May 27 — “the second highest Memorial Day weekend we’ve ever tracked” and up 4%. compared to last year, Aixa Diaz, a spokeswoman for AAA, told NPR.
About 38.4 million people are expected to drive over Memorial Day weekend — “the highest number for the holiday since AAA began tracking it in 2000,” the organization said.
An additional 3.5 million people will take flight.
The Transportation Security Administration said it was preparing for an influx of nearly 3 million passengers on Friday alone. From May 23 to 29, the agency said it expects to screen more than 18 million passengers and crew, an increase of 6.4% from the same period last year.
AAA says this indicates America has returned to pre-pandemic travel numbers. “Not only that, but we outperform them,” Diaz said.
Travelers pass through Nashville International Airport, Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee. A record number of Americans are expected to travel during the 2024 Memorial Day holiday. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
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“A lot of people want to get away to get their first taste of summer. But it also perpetuates this post-pandemic travel pattern,” Diaz said. “It started as a revenge travel right after the pandemic around 2021, 2022. But what we’ve really seen in recent years is more and more people are now prioritizing travel.”
Tips for preparing for bad weather and traffic
Bad weather, including thunderstorms, wildfires and even snow, is expected to hit areas including Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Montana as “multiple jet stream disruptions occur.” add to the warm, humid air,” Weather.com said citing the outlook from NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center. .
Threats this weekend also include tornadoes, damaging winds and hail. All of this is about to happen after a tornado swept through Iowa earlier this week, killing four people and injuring at least 35.
Despite this, most travelers have already left or plan to leave on Friday.
“So right now we’re in the thick of it,” Diaz said. The best way to avoid congested roads is to “avoid hitting the road during rush hour, when many people who still go to work on Thursday and Friday mix with travelers on the roads,” she said.
Diaz also recommends that travelers “try to leave as little to chance as possible.”
This means getting to the airport at least two hours in advance, preparing for long TSA lines, fueling vehicles before hitting the highway, and packing cars with a travel kit. emergency (stocked with snacks, extra water and blankets).
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