Flights at Baltimore-Washington International Airport are getting back on track after a lightning strike shut the airport down for a portion of Thurday afternoon.
An FAA employee was flipping a switch to an engine generator at BWI as part of severe weather precautions around 2:30 p.m. Sources told NBC News' Tom Costello the generator was hit by lightning, in turn striking the worker, who was transported to a nearby shock trauma center in unknown condition.
BWI officials shut down BWI's air traffic control tower as a result of the strike and suspended all flights to and from the airport. Flights headed to BWI are being diverted to Dulles International and other area airports.
As of 7:30 p.m., 118 flights had been canceled as a result of the accident.
That strike was one of five that hit the BWI airfield today, seasoned Baltimore-area meteorologist Justin Berk tweeted this afternoon.
The airport began reopening just before 5 p.m. but two runways remain closed, according to BWI officials. In a statement, the FAA officials said BWI's air traffic control tower remains closed -- a consolidated radar facility has assumed control of BWI's airspace.
BWI wasn't the only airport affected by the weather Thursday -- thunderstorms are causing delays at several major East Coast airports.
People camping out @BWI_Airport waiting to find their travel fate pic.twitter.com/GDHcndS5Zf — adam may (@adammaytv) September 12, 2013
Breaking: Every gate at @BWI_Airport looks like this. Tower lightning strike. Everything grounded. pic.twitter.com/B3tq5fpc4g — adam may (@adammaytv) September 12, 2013
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