DHS Shutdown Drives Record TSA Sick Calls as Officials Warn Some Airports Could Be Forced to Close
A partial DHS shutdown that began Feb. 14 has left roughly 50,000 TSA officers working without pay and contributed to record call‑out rates — nationally exceeding 10% (10.19% reported) and reaching about 37% at Atlanta’s Hartsfield‑Jackson — while more than 300–366 agents have quit, creating a staffing gap that takes months to refill. Acting deputy TSA administrator Adam Stahl warned continued sick‑calls could force some airports to shut down; shortages have already closed checkpoints and produced multi‑hour security waits at major hubs even as severe storms and widespread flight cancellations further strain travel operations.
📌 Key Facts
- A sprawling, erratic weather system and separate extreme events are straining the country: blizzard and heavy-snow conditions in parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan (more than a foot in many places and up to two feet or more in some areas), massive Nebraska grassland fires that have burned well over 900–1,140+ square miles, catastrophic flooding in Hawaii with parts of Maui receiving more than 20–23 inches of rain, and an unusually early heat wave in the West (Phoenix forecast for consecutive 100°F days).
- The storms and other weather hazards have caused widespread travel disruption: thousands of flights canceled or delayed nationwide (including more than 4,800 cancellations and roughly 12,800 delays reported on Monday), with heavy cancelations at major hubs — Minneapolis–Saint Paul (600+), Chicago O’Hare/Midway (850+), Atlanta (200+), New York LaGuardia (~450) and significant impacts at Houston and Detroit.
- An ongoing partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown that began Feb. 14 has left TSA employees working without pay; more than 300 (reports up to 366) TSA officers have quit since the shutdown began, many remaining officers are under financial strain (some sleeping in their cars, taking second jobs or donating blood to afford gas), and replacements require roughly 4–6 months to train and certify.
- TSA sick‑call (callout) rates have surged to historic levels: the national rate hit about 10.19% (reported as the highest seen), with some airports facing much higher rates — Atlanta reported roughly a 37% callout that closed at least one checkpoint and produced multi‑hour waits, Houston Hobby reached 55%, New Orleans and other hubs topped 30%, and Philadelphia scheduled multiple checkpoint closures.
- Acting deputy TSA administrator Adam Stahl and TSA leadership warned the situation is serious and that if sick‑call rates continue to climb there could be scenarios requiring airport shutdowns; officials say large‑hub closures are not yet imminent but closures at smaller airports are a plausible contingency.
- Staffing shortages at TSA are compounding storm-driven airline disruptions: union leaders warned travelers to expect longer security lines, passengers described sleeping in airports and arriving hours early, and governments and foreign advisories (including the U.K.) have warned of longer-than-usual queues at some U.S. airports.
- The overlapping crises — extreme weather (snow, wind, tornado risk, floods and heat), widespread power outages, large fires, and the DHS shutdown‑driven staffing shortfalls — are affecting millions of people and complicating emergency response, travel and infrastructure operations nationwide.
📊 Relevant Data
In January 2026, federal immigration agents fatally shot two Minneapolis residents, 37-year-old Alex Pretti and 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, during enforcement operations, sparking protests and contributing to the DHS funding standoff.
Eight people have died in dealings with ICE so far in 2026. These are their stories — The Guardian
Minnesota's Black population grew by 26% between 2010 and 2020, largely due to immigration from African countries, making it one of the fastest-growing Black populations in the US; by 2025, immigrants and their children comprised about 12% of Minnesota's population, with significant Somali and other East African communities in Minneapolis.
Report: Minnesota among states where Black population grew fastest since 2010 — MPR News
Black workers comprise a disproportionately high share of federal employment in states like Georgia (43.8%), where Atlanta's airport experienced high TSA callout rates during the shutdown; nationally, Black Americans face higher rates of financial insecurity, with 57% living paycheck to paycheck compared to 45% of White Americans as of 2023.
Black federal workers by state — Economic Policy Institute
📰 Source Timeline (14)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
March 18, 2026
12:21 PM
Official warns some airports could shut down if TSA sick calls climb
New information:
- Acting deputy TSA administrator Adam Stahl explicitly warned that if TSA officer sick‑call rates continue to rise, 'there could be scenarios where we may have to shut down airports,' calling the situation 'serious.'
- Stahl said 'hundreds' of TSA officers have already quit and that about 50,000 remaining officers are working without pay, with some sleeping in their cars and donating blood to afford gas to reach work.
- The article reports that Monday’s national TSA sick‑out rate exceeded 10% — five times normal — with roughly 37% of screeners calling out at Atlanta’s Hartsfield‑Jackson, closing one checkpoint and pushing waits over two hours; waits reached at least 103 minutes at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental, and three of six TSA checkpoints at Philadelphia International were scheduled to be closed Wednesday.
- TSA leadership now acknowledges that while large‑hub closures are not yet imminent, shutting down smaller airports is a plausible scenario if funding and staffing continue to deteriorate.
12:18 PM
TSA official says rising sick calls could lead to airports shutting down
New information:
- CBS clip provides on‑camera confirmation from acting deputy TSA administrator Adam Stahl that 'estimated wait times at some of the country's major airports are up to two hours' due to rising sick calls.
- Stahl states explicitly that 'there could be scenarios where we may have to shut down airports,' framing closures as a concrete contingency rather than a purely hypothetical risk.
- He characterizes the situation as 'serious,' underscoring TSA leadership’s level of concern about continued sick‑out trends during the partial government shutdown.
8:00 AM
Flight passengers are warned things could get worse amid DHS shutdown, delays and callouts
New information:
- TSA’s national callout rate hit 10.19% on Sunday, which a TSA spokesperson described as the highest the agency has seen.
- Houston Hobby International Airport reached a 55% TSA callout rate on Friday, with New Orleans and Atlanta topping 30% over the weekend.
- A total of 366 TSA officers have quit during the DHS shutdown so far, and it takes 4–6 months to train and certify replacements, creating a structural staffing gap.
- The United Kingdom updated its official foreign travel advice to warn of 'longer than usual queues at some U.S. airports due to a partial US government shutdown.'
- Hartsfield‑Jackson Atlanta International Airport publicly warned that domestic travelers are trying to bypass domestic terminal lines by using the international terminal, which is worsening congestion there.
March 17, 2026
5:26 PM
Flight cancellations pile up after storms dump snow in the Midwest and head east
New information:
- On Tuesday, more than 1,000 U.S. flights were canceled and about 4,200 delayed, with the worst disruptions at Atlanta’s Hartsfield‑Jackson (200+ cancellations, ~450 delays).
- On Monday, more than 4,800 flights were canceled and delays topped 12,800 nationwide, including roughly 600 cancellations at Chicago O’Hare, 500+ at Atlanta, and about 450 at New York’s LaGuardia.
- The article explicitly links the storm‑driven disruption to an ongoing partial DHS shutdown that began Feb. 14, noting more than 300 TSA agents have quit and some workers are taking second jobs or can’t afford gas to get to work.
- TSA union leaders in Atlanta held a news conference warning travelers should expect increasingly long security lines as the shutdown continues, while passengers describe sleeping on airport floors and arriving four hours early due to TSA delays.
1:53 PM
More flights canceled or delayed as weather, TSA staffing upend travel
New information:
- The article explicitly ties ongoing nationwide flight delays to a partial DHS shutdown that began February 14 and has left TSA employees working without pay.
- More than 300 TSA staffers have quit since the shutdown began, and TSA call-out rates have more than doubled, with last weekend marking the highest and second-highest call-out days to date.
- The shutdown affects only the Department of Homeland Security, and Democrats are refusing to fund DHS until new restrictions are imposed on federal immigration operations following the fatal Minneapolis shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
- TSA union leaders in Atlanta publicly warned Monday that travelers should expect increasingly long security lines as the shutdown continues, even as many officers still report for duty under growing financial strain.
10:00 AM
Blizzards, severe storms, heat wave hit U.S. with array of extreme weather
New information:
- AccuWeather estimates that more than 200 million people were under threat Monday from some type of dangerous weather, from heat and wildfire advisories to flood and freeze watches.
- Phoenix is expected to see five straight days of triple‑digit temperatures this week, an unprecedented March heat wave with only one prior 100‑degree March day on record (1988).
- L.A. Mayor Karen Bass publicly linked the early‑season Southern California heat to climate change, saying “This is technically still winter… a sign of how climate change is impacting our city,” as Bay Area and Sacramento temperatures approach 90°F.
- Nebraska officials say three large fires have burned more than 1,140 square miles of mostly grassland, with Gov. Jim Pillen calling the situation a 'doozy' from Mother Nature.
- Poweroutage.com data cited show more than 500,000 homes and businesses without power early Tuesday, mainly in Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts.
- Four people, including a child, died Monday in a New York City apartment fire that spread rapidly in heavy winds associated with the storm system.
March 16, 2026
10:45 PM
News Wrap: Chaotic weather system delays U.S. travelers
New information:
- Article explicitly ties the severe-weather system to delays for 'tens of thousands of travelers nationwide,' emphasizing air-travel disruption as a primary impact.
- Confirms Maui received more than 23 inches of rain, characterized as 'almost two feet of water' on Saturday, consistent with but reinforcing earlier figures.
- Provides an on-the-ground detail that TSA agents missing paychecks during the partial DHS shutdown are already calling out from work, compounding airport disruption from the storm.
1:31 PM
Severe storms blast eastern half of the U.S. with snow and high winds, as tornado threat rises
New information:
- Confirms more than 2,000 flight cancellations nationwide tied to the storm as of Monday.
- Details that mid-Atlantic states and Washington, D.C., are at greatest risk for high winds and tornadoes, with a stretch from parts of South Carolina to Maryland highlighted for the most damaging winds Monday afternoon.
- Specifies that by Tuesday morning, wind chills below freezing are expected to reach the Gulf Coast and Florida Panhandle, with freeze warnings in parts of the Southeast as well as Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Texas.
- Notes additional snowfall totals in Upper Michigan of up to another foot to 20 inches, with blizzard conditions persisting in parts of Wisconsin and Michigan and up to 2 feet already on the ground in some areas.
- Reports widespread school closures in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Wisconsin and Michigan, and early dismissals in Maryland due to the line of storms and high-wind/tornado threat.
- Quotes North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein urging residents to enable emergency alerts ahead of forecast gusts up to 74 mph.
7:44 AM
Severe storms pummel parts of US with snow and high winds and raise tornado threat
New information:
- National Weather Service now highlights a corridor from parts of South Carolina to Maryland as most likely to experience the greatest damaging winds and several tornadoes on Monday afternoon, including Raleigh, Richmond, and Washington, D.C.
- Officials in North Carolina have ordered schools in Raleigh and Chapel Hill closed Monday because of the tornado and high‑wind threat; Gov. Josh Stein urged residents to enable emergency alerts ahead of potential 74‑mph gusts.
- AccuWeather’s Tyler Roys specifies that central Wisconsin to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is likely to see over 2 feet of snow, with lower but still disruptive accumulations in Chicago and Milwaukee impacting Monday commutes.
- The article reinforces that Hawaii continues to see flooding from a separate system, with some Maui locations receiving more than 20 inches of rain and extended road closures and shelter operations.
3:12 AM
Snow and wind batter parts of US, with threat of thunderstorms and tornadoes starting later Sunday
New information:
- AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tyler Roys describes the event as a "broad and erratic patchwork" of severe weather and warns that successive punches of snow, wind and severe weather will impact the eastern half of the U.S.
- Forecast detail that mid‑Atlantic states and Washington, D.C., are at greatest risk for high winds and tornadoes on Monday as the system moves east.
- Report that more than 850 flights were canceled Sunday at Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports, on top of more than 600 cancellations at Minneapolis–Saint Paul and additional cancellations through Detroit.
- Updated Hawaii impact numbers: nearly 40,000 electric customers without power and some areas of Maui receiving more than 20 inches of rain, with local officials reporting flooding, landslides, sinkholes and widespread infrastructure damage.
March 15, 2026
8:26 PM
Severe weather batter parts of U.S., with threat of thunderstorms and tornadoes starting later Sunday
New information:
- Confirms more than a foot of snow in portions of Minnesota and Wisconsin as of Sunday morning, with additional accumulations expected in the Minneapolis area under active blizzard warnings.
- Reports that more than 600 flights into and out of Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport were canceled Sunday, with additional cancellations through Detroit.
- Details severe flooding in Hawaii: over 50,000 customers without power statewide, acres of farmland and homes flooded, road closures and opened shelters, and Maui County’s mayor reporting up to 20 inches of rain in 24 hours in parts of Maui, along with landslides, rescues and collapsed homes.
- Quotes AccuWeather meteorologist Tyler Roys warning that successive punches of snow, wind and severe weather will impact the eastern half of the U.S. and several major airports.
- Notes that portions of the mid‑South are bracing for late‑day thunderstorms Sunday that are expected to spread east and bring high‑wind and tornado threats to a broad swath of the Eastern U.S., with the Mid‑Atlantic including Washington, D.C., most at risk Monday.
7:26 PM
Weather threats bring blizzard conditions, early heat wave to parts of U.S.
New information:
- Quantifies current alert scope: about 11.5 million people under blizzard warnings, 4.3 million under winter storm warnings, and 20.6 million under an extreme heat watch.
- Confirms more than a foot of snow already fell in parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin on Sunday, with additional accumulation expected in Minneapolis under ongoing blizzard warnings.
- Reports a formal no‑travel advisory in southern Minnesota and that Gov. Tim Walz authorized the Minnesota National Guard to support emergency operations.
- Details that more than 600 flights into and out of Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport were canceled Sunday, with additional cancellations in Detroit.
- Specifies Monday’s forecast moderate risk of severe weather and damaging winds from parts of South Carolina to Maryland, including Raleigh, Richmond and Washington, D.C., plus a broader, lower risk stretching north into part of New York and south into northern Florida.
- Introduces a simultaneous, unusually early heat wave in the West, with potential record highs in Southern California, the Desert Southwest and Great Basin, including 90s–100s in desert areas and 70s–80s across much of California and the interior West, along with elevated wildfire danger.
5:41 PM
Snow and wind batter parts of US, with threat of thunderstorms and tornadoes
New information:
- Confirms that a broad, erratic storm system is simultaneously producing heavy snow and blizzard conditions in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan while the same pattern drives the Nebraska wildfires previously reported.
- Reports more than 600 flight cancellations into and out of Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport on Sunday and additional cancellations through Detroit because of the storm.
- Provides updated scope on the Nebraska wildfires: three of the largest fires have damaged well over 900 square miles, with the Morrill County fire alone burning well over 700 square miles, and about 30 Nebraska National Guard members deployed to assist.
- Notes that roughly 150,000 utility customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan remain without power Sunday after earlier non-thunderstorm wind gusts up to 85 mph, linking the current storm pattern to lingering outages.
- Adds that forecasters expect late-day severe thunderstorms Sunday to spread east and by Monday threaten a large swath of the Eastern U.S., with the mid-Atlantic including Washington, D.C., at particular risk for high winds and possible tornadoes.