CINCINNATI — A Cincinnati firefighter stepped up on a flight out of CVG when another passenger was experiencing a medical emergency.

Part of the way through the flight from Cincinnati to Salt Lake City, passengers started to notice another passenger needed help.

“It was clear that there was someone in distress. The flight attendants were asking around if there was anyone who had medical help,” another passenger on the plane, Blake Taylor, said.

A few rows in front of Taylor, another passenger had already taken charge of the situation.

"Once the flight attendants started going through their motions and their protocols, they brought me a medical bag that had everything I needed, there was a nurse there that was helping out," Kenny Christo said.

He's a Cincinnati firefighter and EMT at Station 23 in East Walnut Hills.

Christo was able to assess the passenger, get an IV started and monitor her until the plane landed and local EMTs took over.

"It happened very calmly, very efficiently and really impressive," Taylor said.

Christo said by the time he got on his connecting flight out of Salt Lake City, the woman was conscious and talking.

This isn't the first time he's stepped in to help someone when he's off the clock.

"It's just what we do. Especially Cincinnati firefighters. We're always on the ready, we're always there to help out," Christo said.

He said most of the time, firefighters in a situation like this are happy to help. They do what they can to make sure the stranger in need is okay, then do exactly what Christo did: turn around and go about their day, not looking for any credit.

People take strange things on planes — that's nothing new. And the suitcase checked for a journey from New York JFK to Orlando, Florida, on Nov. 16 certainly contained some oddities. As it rolled through the X-ray machine, TSA officials could see what appeared to be bottles, wine glasses, a pair of flip flops — and a life-size outline of a cat.It turned out that the outline was life-size because the cat was a real cat: alive and, apparently, unharmed by its past few hours of being stuffed into a suitcase and flung around on its way onto the plane. A plane where, of course, it could easily have died in the hold during the flight.The officers who saw the image, and then opened the case to find the cat, were "shocked," TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein told CNN.Related video above: TSA busts gun-stuffed raw chickenDespite them dealing daily with everything from unauthorized firearms to illicit cranberry sauce, "It's rare to discover a live animal in a checked bag," she said. Luckily, the cat didn't try to run away when they opened the case.The passenger, who was traveling on Delta Air Lines, was paged to come and explain his luggage, and told TSA that "it was not his cat — it belonged to someone else in the household," said Farbstein. They suggested the cat — which was on top of the luggage, and even had its fur sticking out of the case between the zippers — had got into the case unseen.TSA did not involve animal welfare, said Farbstein.The traveler is thought to have missed his flight, but rebooked for the following day, sans cat. Meanwhile the cat — apparently called Smells — appears unbothered by his escapade, according to the New York Post, which appeared to have tracked it down.Traveling (intentionally) with your cat? Farbstein advises placing it in a pet carrier and asking for it to be screened in a private room so that when it's taken out for screening, it can't run away. A search of the cat's carry-on can then take place.And if you're not traveling with your cat, make sure it hasn't joined you for the ride.

CINCINNATI —

The Bengals team flew a charter plane back to Cincinnati as fans headed toward the airport for their post-Super Bowl travel back home.

“We didn’t win, but at least it was a good game,” said Bengals fan Tricia Stuart as she arrived at CVG after being at the Super Bowl.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing, so, I’m just glad I got a chance to see it,” said Von Craddock, who was also at the game and arrived at CVG on Monday.

Mark Householder was also at the game. Even though the Bengals didn’t win, he said the trip was not a loss.

“It was absolutely worth it,” Householder said.

Many fans had traveled from out of state to be in Cincinnati to watch the game.

“I live in Durham, North Carolina. I’m born and raised in Cincinnati,” said Morgan Andres. “There were plenty of Super Bowl parties and plenty of bars in Durham, but it just wasn’t the same as being home.”

Some fans leaving CVG were not originally from Cincinnati, but are serious Bengals fans.

Jason Stewart took four planes and traveled thousands of miles from Canada. It would have been closer to go to Los Angeles.

“It wouldn’t have mattered if it was in my own backyard. I wouldn’t have gone to the Super Bowl. I just wanted to be here with the people,” Stewart said.

RENO, Nev. (Video: KOLO via CNN) —

If you're traveling over the holidays, you know it's a stressful experience. From crowds to screenings, traffic and worries about boarding on time, an airport in Reno, Nevada, is hoping to soothe passengers.

A volunteer organization called Paws 4 Passengers brings certified therapy dogs into terminals to encourage smiles and change the overall mood.

"It's always stressful traveling. so seeing dogs here makes everybody feel good," Sheri Heimerdinger told KOLO as she waited to pick up her mother at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport.

Sheri Harwell of Paws 4 Passengers said the dogs help calm those who might be nervous about flying.

"They just bring warmth, love and joy to all the people here," she said.

Harwell said she's also seen the dogs seek out a belly rub from people they sense may need them the most.

"If we see a child that's really crying and upset and having a fit. We'll try to go over. That's what Brooke does. She'll go over there and just sit there with that little kid and calm them down," Harwell said. "The parents are always saying thank you, thank you, thank you."

Paws 4 Passengers was founded in 2013 and currently has a team of 30 therapy dogs.

And it's not just weary passengers who enjoy their visits with the dogs.

"When those vests go on, that's their job and they know it and they love coming here and just greeting people," Harwell said. "That's their job, that's what they love to do."

Watch the video above to see the Paws 4 Passengers team in action.

CINCINNATI —

Following a year many people chose to stay home, Thanksgiving travel is bouncing back in Greater Cincinnati and across the nation.

Katie Buckles is happy to be in the Queen City after flying in from Sarasota, Florida. Last November, her celebrations looked different.

"I wasn't able to come back due to COVID, my family was too worried about all of us traveling so this will be my first year back," Buckles said.

In its holiday travel forecast, AAA said it expects more than 53.4 million people to travel between Nov. 24-28, up 13 percent from 2020 levels.

CVG officials said this month and next will be the busiest travel period since the pandemic started.

Uber driver Johnny Holland thinks, at least today, things are getting off to a slower start.

"I've waited like four hours today just for one Uber ride, and there were probably 40 Uber and Lyft drivers in the waiting lot," Holland said.

Holland said he was waiting for incoming travelers since 8 a.m.

By 7 p.m., he had only given three people rides.

"Normally on a good day it's eight or nine rides," Holland said.

According to CVG, their busiest travel days will likely end up being Wednesday and this coming Sunday. The busiest departure times are usually between 5 and 7 a.m.

And, despite spiking gas prices, around 48 million people will take to the road this Thanksgiving holiday.

Officials at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport say there is "no danger to passengers or employees" after a gun was fired Saturday at a security checkpoint.

The airport's official Twitter account says a gun was "accidentally discharged" at a security screening area at 1:30 p.m. ET.

"There is not an active shooter. There was an accidental discharge at the Airport. There is no danger to passengers or employees," a tweet read.

The Atlanta Police Department is on the scene to assist with an investigation. No injuries were reported.

WXIA-TV in Atlanta shared videos to social media that showed travelers seeking cover in the moments after the weapon was fired. Other videos showed passengers disembarking planes and gathering on the tarmac.

City Councilman Andre Dickens, a candidate running in the upcoming mayoral race, later tweeted that it is "safe to travel" from the airport.

By 3 p.m. ET, the FAA reported, "no destination-specific delays" at Hartsfield-Jackson airport.

Related video above: U.S. Travelers Keep 'Forgetting' They Packed Loaded Guns

The accidental discharge of a passenger's weapon in a security area of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport caused widespread panic Saturday afternoon, prompting a brief halt of departing flights over the busy travel weekend.

The passenger was going through the screening process around 1:30 p.m. when "somebody recognized that there was a weapon in the bag," airport spokesperson Andrew Gobeil told CNN's Jim Acosta.

"When either the officer went in or when the passenger went in to get it, it accidentally discharged," Gobeil said, and the loud noise created a "sense of chaos."

According to Gobeil, after the gun went off, the passenger "took off and was able to make it outside of the airport."

Airport officials and Atlanta Police know who the individual is, Gobeil added, because the incident occurred while the passenger was being screened.

Erika Zeidler, who was traveling from Atlanta to Anchorage, Alaska, said she was sitting in a restaurant in Concourse T when people began running down the hallway.

"We thought they were late for a flight, and then more and more people started running," she told Acosta. "There was some screaming and then somebody stopped and said, 'There's a shooter, you need to go.'"

An investigation into the incident remains ongoing, Gobeil said.

In the meantime, there is no danger to passengers or employees, airport officials said on Twitter. Officials gave an "all-clear," and the airport was resuming normal operations.

A ground stop was called for the airport for all departing flights, per the Federal Aviation Administration, but was soon lifted.

An Atlanta police spokesperson confirmed no injuries had been reported as a result of the incident.

"There was an accidental discharge of a firearm near the main security checkpoint," Atlanta police Sgt. Jarius Daugherty said. "Officers are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident."

Details about the weapon or circumstances surrounding the accidental discharge have not been made available.

The FBI and the ATF are "providing investigative assistance" to the Atlanta police, according to a spokesperson for the ATF. The White House is also "monitoring" the incident, a White House official said, referring questions to local law enforcement.

The shooting scare comes as the Thanksgiving travel period is getting underway. On Friday, the Transportation Security Administration screened more than 2.2 million airport travelers across the country — the highest checkpoint volume for a single day since the pandemic began, according to a TSA spokesperson.

TSA Administrator David Pekoske recently told CNN that airline passengers bringing guns to the airport is a "huge problem." Last month, the agency reported catching 4,650 firearms — a majority of them loaded — at security checkpoints in the first ten months of 2021. That number surpassed the full-year record of 4,432, set in 2019.

Witnesses recount chaos after scare

Witnesses described confusion and disarray as panic erupted in one of the world's busiest airports.

Zeidler and others took shelter in a TGI Fridays restaurant, she said. Photos she shared on Twitter showed a crowd of people standing on the tarmac beneath a jetway as the incident unfolded.

Greg Romero had just gotten off a flight from Salt Lake City when he heard there was an emergency, he told CNN's Fredricka Whitfield. Airport personnel "shut off all the escalators and cut off all passengers and turned off the tram," said Romero, the father-in-law of CNN correspondent Nadia Romero.

"Right now airport personnel is doing a really good job keeping everybody calm," he added.

A few travelers were "a little bit panicked but more frustrated," Romero said. "They're trying to catch flights, to get out of the airport. For the most part, people are just lined up against the walls."

Dianne Callahan was traveling with her son and had just boarded her flight to New York when the crew closed the door to the plane. That's when she said she heard screams outside the plane. She also heard sirens, Callahan said, but didn't know what was going on.

"It was an extremely tense situation," she said. "People were pushing to get on the plane that were not even on our flight. That's how scared they were."

Callahan and her son were then sent to go back through security, she said.

In response to the incident, Delta Airlines, which is headquartered in Atlanta, announced it was issuing a travel waiver to assist impacted customers.

"With this, the fare difference for customers will be waived when rebooked travel occurs on or before Nov. 23, 2021, in the same cabin of service as originally booked," the statement said.

"Delta is coordinating with TSA and Atlanta airport officials to accommodate customers as quickly and safely as possible," the airline said. "We are also working to proactively accommodate customers who may have missed a flight."

A Southwest Airlines employee was taken to a Dallas hospital on Saturday after being assaulted by a passenger at Love Field Airport, according to the airline.

A female operations agent was "verbally and physically" assaulted by a female passenger as a flight from Dallas to La Guardia Airport in New York City was boarding, Southwest told CNN in an email. The employee was transported to a local hospital and released on Saturday evening, according to the email. She is at home resting, the airline said.

"Southwest Airlines maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding any type of harassment or assault and fully support our employee as we cooperate with local authorities regarding this unacceptable incident," the email said.

Southwest said the passenger was taken into custody by local law enforcement. CNN has reached out to the Dallas Police Department for more information but has not heard back.

The incident is one among many verbal and physical attacks on flight staff that have been reported during the COVID-19 pandemic. Flight crews have reported 5,114 unruly passenger incidents since the start of 2021, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. FAA data shows more than 70% of incidents were over masks.

The incidents have ranged from shouting to spitting and physical altercations with airline staff.

In May this year a Southwest Airlines passenger who allegedly punched a flight attendant was fined more than $26,000, the FAA said.

The agency announced earlier this month it had fined 10 violent airline passengers a total of nearly $250,000.

Some of the first executive orders signed by President Joe Biden are directives requiring masks to slow the spread of the coronavirus in this country. The orders, one about federal property and one about travel, are limited to locations and people the Biden administration has control over.

In addition, Biden is urging all Americans to wear face coverings for 100 days, with the idea being a concentrated effort for this long could help contain the spread of the coronavirus as vaccination efforts are ramping up.

Here is a look at how Americans may be impacted by the new executive orders:

Domestic travel

There is now a federal mask requirement that applies to airports, planes, ships, and many intercity buses, trains and public transportation.

Although airlines, Amtrak, and other modes of transportation already had individual or regional mask requirements, the executive order makes it a federal level requirement and helps backstop any wiggle room on the local level.

There are still unanswered questions about how this order will be enforced, and which modes of transportation, exactly, are covered.

International travel

Travelers coming to the U.S. from another country must show a negative COVID-19 test before heading to this country, and then quarantine upon arrival.

Federal property

Masks and social distancing efforts are now required on all federal property and federal lands. This includes places like federal courthouses, FBI or other federal agency buildings both in D.C. and around the country, and national parks and forests.

While regional or statewide mask mandates have informed local decisions at these locations, the federal level mask requirement helps ensure consistency of requirements on federal property.

Federal employees

All federal employees and contractors are required to wear masks while on federal property or otherwise on-the-job.

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SWEET HOME FOR A BIRTHDAY. HEY GUYS, SOOU Y MIGHT HAVE BEEN WATCHING WHEN WE FIRST INTERVIEWED JEWELS AND KAREN YOU WSA OUR NEWSCAST KIND OF THIS IS INCREDIBLE TO BE IN THIS MOMENT WALK US THUGHRO WHAT’S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW? OKAY. WELL WE WERE WATCHING THE NEWS ACTUALLYRY TING TO DECIDE WHETHER WE’RE GONNA LIKE TRY TO GET ON THE CAR AND LEAVE TO GO TO FLORIDA TONIGHT OR NOT AND MY DAUGERHT SHARES THE SAME BIRTHDAY AS JEWELS, AND SO IT’S JUST REALLY STRUCK A CHORD, YOU KNOW, AND AS THE YOUNGEST OF FIVE KIDS AND I JUST SAID THIS COULBED DAUGHTER SITTING STRANDED AT THE AIRPORT AND WE HAD TO HELP SO I CALLED THE NEWS STATION AND FIGURED OUT HOW WE COULD COME HELP. JEWELS WEET M AT THE AIRPORT AND HEREE W ARE AND IT’S LIKE A MIRACLE HPENEAPD AND RIGHT NOW WHAT’S GOING THROUGH YOUR HEART. I MEAN THE EMOTIONS. YEAH, I FEEL PRETTY GOOD. I MISSED MY MOM. SO I’M HAPPY THAT I HAVE SOMEONE WHO’S GONNA KIND OF TAKE CARE OF ME TAKE CARE OF THE FRIENDS THAT I’VE MEAD MAKE ME FEEL SAFE BECAUSE FIRST TIME IN NEW ORLEANS GETNGTI HIT WITH A HURRICANE, NOT REALLY THE WAY I WANTED TO SPEND MY BIRTHDAY. SO I FEEL A LITTLE BETTER KNOWING THAT I’M TAKING CARE OF. AND HAVE YOU GOTTEN CHOKED UP OVER THIS I ANME SO MUCH ON THE WAY HERE. I MEAN, I WAS JUST YOU KNOW, SHE’S LIKE MOMS YOU THIS IS LIKE IT JTUS FEELS SO GOOD RIGHT I SAID, WELL, THIS IS WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT. SO HELPING THAT, YOU KNOW HELP IN THE NEXT PERSON. SO FOR SURE AND YOU’RE FIGHTING BACK TEARS RIGHT NOW, YES, LITERALLY, I’M VERY EMOTIONAL RIGHT NOW JUST FEEL SO GOOD TO BE ABLE TO HELP SOMEBODY. WHO’S SCARED RIGHT NOW AND NEEDS? SHELRTE THE DEFINITION OF LOUISIANA I MEAN, THIS IS WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT, RIGHT? 100% AND YOUR BIRTHDAYS I AUGUST 30TH. YES. AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS SUCH A DIFFICULT TIMEOR F SO MANY PEOPLE BUT IT’S A TIME TO COME TOGETHER AND WE’VE BEEN THROUGH SO MHUC IN THIS PAST YEAR YEAR TWO AND THINKING CKBA TO 2005 AS WELL TOUCH ON THE SPIRIT OF LOUISIANA IN THE SPIRIT OF NEW ORLEANS. WELL,OU Y KNOW THEY SAY NEW ORLEANS. I MEAN EVERYBODY COMES HERE AND THERE WE SO FRIENDLY AND THIS IS YOU KNOW, THISS I JUST SOMETHING FOR ME BORN AND RAISED IN LOUISIANA AND NEW ORLEANS. IT JUST FELT LIKE THE THING, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS NO QUESTIONO N QUESTION AT ALL. I MEAN IF WE COULD HELP THEN WE’RE HERE TO HELP SO DEFINITELY THE SPIRIT OF LOUISIANA, SO WE’RE HAPPY TO SHARE THAT. I’M JUST REALLY GRATEFUL THAT SOMEBODY WITH I HAD SO NYMA PEOPLE LIKE PEOPLE WERE STALKING ME ON FACEBOOK REACHING OUT TO ME. LIKE DO YOU HAVE PLACE TO GO YOU NCA HAVE MY APARTMENT. I WAS LIKE, WHOA, SO I FEEL SO GOOD KNOWING THAT I’M HERE AND I’M TAKING CARE OF BECAUSE I ANME IN CHICAGO I COULD ONLY WISH THAT PEOPLE WOULD HAVE THIS SPIRIT TO LIKE TAKE CARE OF EREVYONE ELSE, BUT I’M HAPPY I GET TO ESCAPE. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME ABSOLUTELY, AND IT’S JUSTOR F PEOPLE WHO AREN’T AWARE. SHE YOU HAVE A GUEST HSEOU THAT YOU’RE ABLE TO HELP HER OUT WITH. YETH. S. MY SISTER HAS AN APARTMENT IN LAKEEWVI. SO IT’S CLOSE TO WHERE WE’LL BE. AND SO WE’LL BE ABLE TO YOU KNOW, CHECK ON HER. I’M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT GR OCERIES ARE OPEN AND GO GET SOME PROVISIONS, BUT YOU KNOW, WE CAN CERTAINLY SHARE WE WE’VE GOT ENOHUG FOOD AT HOME. SO WE’LL BE ABLE TO YOU KNOW. COOKND A YEAH, LIKE WE DO IN NEW ORLEANS FOR A HURRICANE, RIGHT? I MEAN, WE’LL JUST MAKE THE BEST OF IT. GUYS, I KNOW IT’S LATE. I’LL LET YOU ALL ALL KIND OF GET YOUR THE SITUATED SO GUYS YOU CAN SEE IT LIVE RIGHT THERE. IT’S JUST LIKE I SAID THE SPIRIT OF NEW ORLEANS THE SPIRIT OF LOUISIANA HOW THIS ALLIN KD OF WORKS OUT JULES BEHIND ME. SHE WAS STRANDED ANDT I LOOKS LIKE SOME OTHER LADIES THAT ALSO WERE FROM NEWOR YK CITY OR ALSO KIND OF BNGEI HELPED OUT AS WELL. THEY’RE ALL KIND OF GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE A PLACE TO STAY DURING THIS RRHUICANE. SO MANY THINGS ARE KINDF O UP IN THE AIR, BUT THEY WEER ABLE TO KIND OF ALL WORK IT OUT. UYO CAN SEE RIGHT NOW. THEY’RE LOADING UP THEIR LUGGAGE AS WE SPEAK AND LOANGDI INTO THEIR CAR AND THEY’RE GONNA HAVE A PLACE TO STAY BECAUSE RHTIG NOW ALL THE FLIGHTS YOU’RE IN. NEW ORLNSEA TOMORROW THEY ARE CANCELED. SO IF YOU WERE PLANNING ON TRYING TO GET IN OUT OF TOWN BY THE AIRPORT, YOU COULD NOT DO THAT BECAUSE OF ALL THEHE T FLIGHTS THAT WERE SETO T THE AIRPORT DAN ESSENTIALLY A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST HAD NO WAY TNOO IDEA HOW THEY WERE GOING TO DO THIS. YEAH WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO HOW THEY WERE GOINGO T GET OUT OF TOW BUTN, THERE YOU GO. RIGHT THERE. SOMEONE SAW THE STORY LIVE AND EYTH’RE ALL KIND OF PACKING IN SUV AND THEY WERE GNGOI TO BE HEADINGUT O RIGHT HERE LIVE AND INSTEAD OF SLEEPING IN THE AIRPORT. I DON’T EVEN KNOW I’D REACHED OUT TO AIRPORT OFFICIALS IF THEY WERE EVEN GOING TO ALLOW THEM. TO DO THAT, BUT THERE YOU HAVE IT AND THEY HAVE A PLACE TO STAY FOR THE NIGHT FOLLOWING THIS STORY RIGHT HERE ON W. ISSUE AND LOOKS KELI THEY’RE GOING TO BE PULLINGUT O ANY ANY MOMENT NOW AND GINA SAW IT’S PRETTY POWERFUL AND PRETTY EMOTIONAL TO SEE. HAS HAPPEDNE THEY’RE PRETTY INCREDIBLE. REMARKABLE AUBREY YOU ARE RIGHT. ABSOLUTELY A MIRACLE. I JUST WANT TO PAUSE AND KIND OF LET THIS MOMENT SINK IN I KWNO RIGHT FEEL THE SPIRIT AND THE LOVE TAKE A LOOK AND IF YOU ARE SEE THE SHOTIG RHT THERE AND I LOVE KAREN COMING TO THE RESCUE. THKAN YOU KAREN. I MEAN SAW THE STORY. HAD SOME AVAILABLE SPACE AND NOT ONLY JUST FOR JEWELS BUT FOR OTHER PEOPLE WHO WEER STUCK AS WELL. THIS IS WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT. THIS IS THE SPIRIT OF SOUTH, LOUISIANA JUST LOUISIANA AND GENERAL PARTICULARLY WHEN WE ARE FACED WITH, YOU KNOW, DAUNTING CHALLENGES. WE ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, FIND IT IN OUR HEARTS OR MAKE A WAY TO HELP WHERE WE CAN PEOPLE GETTING UNIFIED AND COMING TOGETHER. WE OFTEN SEE STORIES LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW AFTER THE STORM GINA WHEN NEIGHRSBO ARE HELPING NEIGHBORS STRANGERS HELNGPI STRANGERS AND BECOMING FRIENDS AND FALIMIES AND EVERYONE’S AFFECTED IN SOME STOR

Woman stranded at airport for her birthday given refuge as Hurricane Ida approaches

Jules Marshall, a woman traveling alone from Chicago for her birthday, was stranded in the airport after her flight home got canceled. New Orleanians swooped in to help.

Updated: 7:05 AM EDT Aug 29, 2021

A woman was given refuge by a family in Louisiana after her flight back to Chicago was canceled as Hurricane Ida approaches the Louisiana coast.Jules Marshall, a woman traveling from Chicago for her birthday, found herself stranded in New Orleans International Airport (MSY) with no resources in the area.Sister station WDSU worked with Marshall to find her a safe place to stay as Hurricane Ida looms ahead.A person watching the report on Marshall reached out and offered her and a few others stranded at the airport refuge.Karen Sulzer, whose daughter shares the same birthday as Marshall, felt connected to Marshall and decided to lend a hand."There was no question. If we can help, we're gonna help," said Sulzer.Sulzer's sister reportedly has an apartment nearby her home that is open, so Marshall and a few others will be staying there to wait out the storm.Hurricane Ida is expected to make landfall Sunday afternoon as a category 4 on the coast of Louisiana.

A woman was given refuge by a family in Louisiana after her flight back to Chicago was canceled as Hurricane Ida approaches the Louisiana coast.

Jules Marshall, a woman traveling from Chicago for her birthday, found herself stranded in New Orleans International Airport (MSY) with no resources in the area.

Sister station WDSU worked with Marshall to find her a safe place to stay as Hurricane Ida looms ahead.

A person watching the report on Marshall reached out and offered her and a few others stranded at the airport refuge.

Karen Sulzer, whose daughter shares the same birthday as Marshall, felt connected to Marshall and decided to lend a hand.

"There was no question. If we can help, we're gonna help," said Sulzer.

Sulzer's sister reportedly has an apartment nearby her home that is open, so Marshall and a few others will be staying there to wait out the storm.

Hurricane Ida is expected to make landfall Sunday afternoon as a category 4 on the coast of Louisiana.