A college football team from East Tennessee State University was stranded on buses in the middle of a flooded interstate in North Carolina during Hurricane Helene. The team was on its way to a game in Charleston to play The Citadel when their buses hit floodwaters and were forced to stop on the shoulder. The team was stranded for 14 hours, sleeping on the buses in a parking lot with no access to cell service, hotels, food, or information. The team’s head coach, Tre Lamb, praised the bus drivers, athletic trainers, staff, and officers for keeping everyone calm during the ordeal.
After being stuck in the flooding for hours, a random stranger gave the coaches a ride to shelter and informed them that the highway was open. Despite the adversity, the team remained ready to play whenever The Citadel decided. Hurricane Helene resulted in the postponement or cancelation of multiple college football games over the weekend. The storm, which was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, has been one of the most destructive forces in the region, causing flooding and devastation along Florida’s coast before making landfall in the Big Bend region as a catastrophic Category 4 hurricane.
Furman University postponed their game against Samford, while Appalachian State canceled their game against Liberty, with no plans to reschedule. Flooding has been a significant issue caused by Hurricane Helene, with rising waters reported as far south as Fort Myers on Florida’s Gulf Coast. FOX Weather’s Ian Oliver reported flooding around St. Pete Beach as the storm approached. The hurricane unleashed a 20-foot storm surge and catastrophic winds, leading to rare extreme wind warnings and widespread damage. The storm resulted in at least 40 deaths and is expected to cause billions of dollars in property damage.
The National Weather Service in Tallahassee issued extreme wind warnings for several counties in the Big Bend region ahead of the storm’s eyewall approaching. Despite the challenges faced by the college football team and other affected areas, preparations and responses were made to ensure the safety and well-being of those impacted by Hurricane Helene. The storm brought widespread devastation and destruction, highlighting the importance of preparedness and resilience in the face of natural disasters. Recovery efforts continue in the aftermath of the storm, with communities coming together to rebuild and support those in need.
