FORT LAUDERDALE-HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) – Hundreds of delays and cancellations have hit South Florida airports due to extreme weather across multiple states and a partial government shutdown, leaving travelers dealing with the aftermath.

All day Monday, passengers at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport faced long lines that reached outside the airport doors, as well as canceled or delayed flights.

“Been on the phone for over an hour, can’t get any flights, not any flights on Spirit [Airlines] until Wednesday,” said passenger Tyler Smith.

“Long lines, long waits, nowhere to sit,” said a traveler.

The delayed and canceled flights were due to extreme weather across the East Coast.

As of 10 p.m. on Monday, FLL had over 223 canceled flights and 400 delays, according to FlightAware. At Miami International Airport, there were over 280 cancellations and 300 delays.

“Scheduled to fly back today to Worcester, Massachusetts, and all because of the weather, they canceled the flight,” said passenger Dave Whyman.

For passenger Tiffany Cole, her flight was canceled as she tried to get back home to Michigan.

“I wanna make it back home to my kids and granddaughter, you know what I’m saying? I can deal with it, but I don’t want to be here for days,” she said. “It’s not stressful, but when you’re ready to go home, you’re ready to go home.”

The airport chaos is also being affected by a partial government shutdown that has caused staff shortages at the Transportation Security Administration, increasing lines at airports, including at FLL.

“Canceled, got delayed twice. We were hoping to get out of here tonight, but the earliest flight now is Thursday,” said traveler Alec Fisher, who is trying to head back to Minnesota. “We changed our flights to Thursday, so hopefully those actually go this time.”

Fisher said he’s treating this delay as an extended vacation.

“We got like 12 inches of snow, it’s horrible. I do not want to go back to it,” he said.

Nationwide, the Midwest was struck by blizzard conditions, increasing travel issues across the United States.

“Actually, I had like three canceled flights, and so, now I just rebooked on United [Airlines],” said Stephanie Schlepp, a traveler at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

Up to 30 inches of snow are expected in Wisconsin, with powerful winds creating dangerous whiteouts in other states.

“We actually ended up lost because we couldn’t see the road signs,” said Christopher Hebert, a Green Bay resident.

This left millions of Americans in the path of severe weather as passengers attempted to get back home.

“Ours got canceled, and we’re trying to make it back before our jobs cancel us,” said passenger Justin Vlez.

“Just be patient, everybody’s being very courteous, just keep in mind that it’s not their fault, it’s Mother Nature, and what can we do?” said Cole.

Across the United States, more than 4,000 flights were canceled, and 10,000 flights were delayed as of Monday evening, according to FlightAware.

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