Baltimore airport tower struck by lightning as storms hit Northeast

Washington (CNN) -- Lightning struck the air-traffic control tower at Baltimore's airport Thursday as thunderstorms delayed flights across the Northeast.

The lightning strike at Baltimore Washington International Airport around 2:20 p.m. ET forced officials to temporarily halt takeoffs and landings.

The airport reopened around 4:45 p.m., according to a Twitter post from its official account. But the tower remained closed.

"The tower is not handling any air traffic operations at this time and the FAA's Potomac Consolidated Terminal radar approach control facility has assumed control of the airspace," the FAA said in a statement.

Officials evacuated the tower after lightning struck and handed over control of planes to the Potomac facility, an FAA official said.

The FAA reported departure delays for flights destined for Baltimore, Boston, Newark, New York, Philadelphia and Washington.