Three are injured in mid-air turbulence over Texas as Storm Eboni causes flight delays across the US – after warnings that FOUR MILLION people could be stranded in blizzards
- A passenger and flight attendant were taken to hospital in Austin with injuries
- Another person was treated on the scene after severe turbulence Wednesday
- Flight was headed for Dallas but had to make an unscheduled stop in Austin
- Footage posted on Twitter showed a thunderstorm from a different Texas plane
- Four million people could be affected by travel disruption from Storm Eboni
Three airplane passengers were injured in the air over Texas on Wednesday as Storm Eboni caused treacherous flying conditions across the US.
The Dallas-bound American Airlines flight managed to land safely at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Wednesday night, despite initial reports suggesting it had been damaged by ferocious winds.
A passenger and a flight attendant were hospitalized with complaints of knee pain and neck pain, and one other person was treated at the scene – a spokesperson for the airline revealed.
Storm Eboni is the first wave of heavy snow and rain expected to strike the US through the end of the holiday weekend.
Several ambulances were on the scene at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Wednesday night
A passenger and a flight attendant were hospitalized with injuries and one other person was treated on the scene
The 75 passengers on board the flight, which was returning to the US from Mexico, stayed in a hotel in Austin on Wednesday night, to be transferred back to Dallas on Thursday.
Thousands of flights were grounded in Midwestern airports over Christmas due to heavy snowfall, with forecasters warning the worst is yet to come as the storm sweeps across the country.
Airlines are waiving ticket change fees for passengers due to fly to, from or through several airports in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.
Horrifying footage posted on Twitter by a passenger on another Texas-bound flight, Jen Vaughn, showed huge lightning storms turning the sky purple as she flew just hours after the American Airlines plane was forced to land in Austin.
Heavy snow and rainstorms from Storm Eboni are also predicted to create dangerous road conditions for millions of travelers heading out after Christmas.
Footage posted on Twitter by another passenger, Jen Vaughn, showed scale of the huge lightning storms from the window of another Texas-bound flight
Storm Eboni has caused freak weather conditions across the US with massive thunderstorms and up to a foot of snow leading to travel disruption for millions
CNN estimates that up to four million people could be stranded because of the post-Christmas blizzard conditions.
Starting in Texas, the severe weather is expected to pass through Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee in the early hours of Thursday morning, according to CNN.
It’s expected to last until Friday with western Nebraska and eastern Colorado also receiving 8-12 inches of snow, with the weather system anticipated to pivot into northern New England as millions head back to work.
Large hail, strong gusts and isolated tornadoes could tear through that part of the country in the afternoon and evening.
The number of people traveling is up 4.4 percent for 2018 – a record increase according to the American Automobile Association.
A whopping 102.1 million people will be driving or riding in a car, approximately 6.7 million were believed to be traveling via an aircraft and the remainder are expected to make their way to where they need to be on buses or boats.
South Jordan (left) and Salt Lake City (right) in Utah were affected already by Wednesday
4 million people traveling after Christmas could be affected by the weather in the center of the country
Large hail, strong gusts and isolated tornados could tear through the South
The number of people traveling is up 4.4 percent for 2018 – a record increase according to the American Automobile Association