LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The impacts of Hurricane Helene have disrupted travel all over the region, including in Louisville.
At the Greyhound terminal just west of downtown Louisville, riders reported waiting hours, and some waiting overnight, for their bus to leave the station and get them home.
"Sitting here for two days -- that's ridiculous,” said rider Andy Brown. “And obviously the facilities aren't great, they're nasty."
A rainy weekend in the metro was a result of Hurricane Helene that tore through America's southern region.
Nashville native Brown traveled to Louisville on a Greyhound bus on Friday. Days later, he was trying to get home.
"The bus is sitting here, but no drivers,” Brown said. “There was no heads-up on, ‘Hey, your trip is canceled or delayed,’ or anything like that. I got a notification that it was good to go, but other than that, nothing."
A Greyhound spokesperson said routes in the eastern U.S. are currently affected by Hurricane Helene's havoc.
In a statement sent to WHAS11, Greyhound said:
“Due to the ongoing impacts and aftermath of Hurricane Helene, bus schedules across the eastern United States remain subject to changes, cancellations, and delays. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate our customers' patience and understanding during this time.
Customers do not need to wait on Greyhound premises until service resumes, but they are permitted to use our available facilities and amenities if they so choose.”
The company said customers with canceled tickets can rebook or claim a refund. Per Greyhound’s Terms and Conditions, they aren't responsible for alternate travel, food or lodging for weather-related scenarios.
"The sad thing is that most people who take Greyhounds don't have a car, they don't have a bunch of money, they can't fly, so they're at the mercy of this bus,” Brown said. “It's the only way for them to travel."
The group of riders waiting Sunday afternoon was waiting for a ride to Atlanta, Georgia, going through Nashville, Tennessee. Their bus was scheduled for 2:20 p.m. on Sunday, but ended up leaving around 5 p.m.
"My heart goes out to these people because they're tired," said Charisse, a Louisville resident. "They've been traveling and they're just tired. And they don't have anywhere to sit or stay, and there's no Greyhound drivers so what are they going to do?"
Charisse stumbled across the scene on Sunday afternoon.
"And I saw all of these people and I was like what's going on?," she said. "I've called the Greyhound plenty of times, and it was never like this"
The station was moved to a strip mall on Broadway in spring of 2023 and it was supposed to be temporary.
Charisse said the station needs an upgrade, so when delays do happen, riders can be comfortable.
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