Just over 100 cancelled flights and 15,000 displaced fliers later I find my family lucky to have been among the first few flights cancelled on Madeira (I didn't want to say where but screw it it's on the news). People are sleeping on the ground in and around the airport because the island ran out of hotel rooms (the airport isn't open 24 hours a day, but they now have to leave it open because people have nowhere else to go). Airport employees apparently started to walk out when it became apparent that they couldn't get anybody on flights.

The weather is expected to get better by late Tuesday/early Wednesday, so hopefully we will be moved out quickly as the airlines cycle through the people in the order of time spent waiting. It's looking like (conspiracy theory warning lol) Iberia initially "experienced a data error" about our flight (they said it had arrived and left, which it didn't) to avoid paying money as designated by passenger's rights agreements, but now they may ultimately get their wish because such an outpouring of money (imagine somewhere around 300 to 400 euros per person) would devastate the airlines and badly damage Madeira's tourism economy. Officials are now arguing about if the airlines may be forgiven the payments just avoid the repercussions.

You all stay safe out there, and if any of you are stuck in this with my family I wish you the best of luck.