Narrative:

En route to ZZZ. Upon arriving in ZZZ airspace; we were informed of strong surface winds. I notified the flight attendant; and passenger to stay seated; and expect a turbulent ride. On final; we were cleared to land and started experiencing peak gusts up to 85 KTS. At this point the first officer turned the controls over to me for the final approach and landing. Inside the marker; we were cleared to land and were experiencing extreme turbulence. While on tower frequency; approach came on to inform us that the tower personnel have evacuate/evacuation the facilities and to state our intentions. We immediately started our missed approach procedures and asked for the WX at four nearby airports. He stated that he was extremely busy and to give him a minute; and he would get back to us. After a short time; he replied that the WX at all of the locations I requested were basically the same as ZZZ; 'what are your intentions?' I replied that as soon as I speak to company we would let him know; but for now keep us close to ZZZ. At this point the first officer finally got through to dispatch and he stated basically the same WX as approach. I then asked for the WX at ZZZ1. The WX he gave us was not great; but much better than all the above. Then I asked if we had fuel to proceed and he stated yes. I did a quick fuel computation and determined we would be close to minimum fuel status upon arrival. So we started heading towards ZZZ1; and contacted dispatch for the second time to ask him to run the numbers for ZZZ1; but this time gave him the winds off our display screen. He replied; 'I told you once you have the fuel; what is your question?' at this point I instructed the first officer to 'change the frequency; and we will work this out on our own.' to conserve fuel; I pulled the power back to 200 KTS. After finally getting turn over to ZID; we could tell they were just as busy as ZZZ approach. They put us in line; and this is where the problem started. Due to volume; we received extremely long vectors. I did not expect the amount of diversions from the north and west; especially on a reduced flying day. After determining our sequence; I knew we were going to declare minimum fuel sooner than I expected. Keep in mind we were in an area of no return; we were committed; and there were not a lot of options we could exercise. Shortly after this; we declared emergency status due to fuel. Supplemental information from acn 805270: on our way to ZZZ1; we asked the dispatcher to again calculate our fuel burn. Again he said that we had enough. There were lots of planes diverting from ZZZ to everywhere including ZZZ1. We declared minimum fuel followed by declaring emergency fuel just as we were reaching ZZZ1. We were given #1 priority for the approach to runway 23R. The landing was made and the emergency was canceled while taxiing from the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ CREW DIVERT TO ZZZ1 AND DECLARE A FUEL EMERGENCY AFTER LESS THAN SUITABLE WEATHER PREVAILS AT THEIR DESTINATION.

Narrative: ENRTE TO ZZZ. UPON ARRIVING IN ZZZ AIRSPACE; WE WERE INFORMED OF STRONG SURFACE WINDS. I NOTIFIED THE FLT ATTENDANT; AND PAX TO STAY SEATED; AND EXPECT A TURBULENT RIDE. ON FINAL; WE WERE CLRED TO LAND AND STARTED EXPERIENCING PEAK GUSTS UP TO 85 KTS. AT THIS POINT THE FO TURNED THE CTLS OVER TO ME FOR THE FINAL APCH AND LNDG. INSIDE THE MARKER; WE WERE CLRED TO LAND AND WERE EXPERIENCING EXTREME TURB. WHILE ON TWR FREQ; APCH CAME ON TO INFORM US THAT THE TWR PERSONNEL HAVE EVAC THE FACILITIES AND TO STATE OUR INTENTIONS. WE IMMEDIATELY STARTED OUR MISSED APCH PROCS AND ASKED FOR THE WX AT FOUR NEARBY AIRPORTS. HE STATED THAT HE WAS EXTREMELY BUSY AND TO GIVE HIM A MINUTE; AND HE WOULD GET BACK TO US. AFTER A SHORT TIME; HE REPLIED THAT THE WX AT ALL OF THE LOCATIONS I REQUESTED WERE BASICALLY THE SAME AS ZZZ; 'WHAT ARE YOUR INTENTIONS?' I REPLIED THAT AS SOON AS I SPEAK TO COMPANY WE WOULD LET HIM KNOW; BUT FOR NOW KEEP US CLOSE TO ZZZ. AT THIS POINT THE FO FINALLY GOT THROUGH TO DISPATCH AND HE STATED BASICALLY THE SAME WX AS APCH. I THEN ASKED FOR THE WX AT ZZZ1. THE WX HE GAVE US WAS NOT GREAT; BUT MUCH BETTER THAN ALL THE ABOVE. THEN I ASKED IF WE HAD FUEL TO PROCEED AND HE STATED YES. I DID A QUICK FUEL COMPUTATION AND DETERMINED WE WOULD BE CLOSE TO MINIMUM FUEL STATUS UPON ARR. SO WE STARTED HEADING TOWARDS ZZZ1; AND CONTACTED DISPATCH FOR THE SECOND TIME TO ASK HIM TO RUN THE NUMBERS FOR ZZZ1; BUT THIS TIME GAVE HIM THE WINDS OFF OUR DISPLAY SCREEN. HE REPLIED; 'I TOLD YOU ONCE YOU HAVE THE FUEL; WHAT IS YOUR QUESTION?' AT THIS POINT I INSTRUCTED THE FO TO 'CHANGE THE FREQ; AND WE WILL WORK THIS OUT ON OUR OWN.' TO CONSERVE FUEL; I PULLED THE PWR BACK TO 200 KTS. AFTER FINALLY GETTING TURN OVER TO ZID; WE COULD TELL THEY WERE JUST AS BUSY AS ZZZ APCH. THEY PUT US IN LINE; AND THIS IS WHERE THE PROB STARTED. DUE TO VOLUME; WE RECEIVED EXTREMELY LONG VECTORS. I DID NOT EXPECT THE AMOUNT OF DIVERSIONS FROM THE N AND W; ESPECIALLY ON A REDUCED FLYING DAY. AFTER DETERMINING OUR SEQUENCE; I KNEW WE WERE GOING TO DECLARE MINIMUM FUEL SOONER THAN I EXPECTED. KEEP IN MIND WE WERE IN AN AREA OF NO RETURN; WE WERE COMMITTED; AND THERE WERE NOT A LOT OF OPTIONS WE COULD EXERCISE. SHORTLY AFTER THIS; WE DECLARED EMER STATUS DUE TO FUEL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 805270: ON OUR WAY TO ZZZ1; WE ASKED THE DISPATCHER TO AGAIN CALCULATE OUR FUEL BURN. AGAIN HE SAID THAT WE HAD ENOUGH. THERE WERE LOTS OF PLANES DIVERTING FROM ZZZ TO EVERYWHERE INCLUDING ZZZ1. WE DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL FOLLOWED BY DECLARING EMER FUEL JUST AS WE WERE REACHING ZZZ1. WE WERE GIVEN #1 PRIORITY FOR THE APCH TO RWY 23R. THE LNDG WAS MADE AND THE EMER WAS CANCELED WHILE TAXIING FROM THE RWY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.