A college football team was stranded on its bus in the middle of a flooded interstate in North Carolina Friday night as Hurricane Helen continued to cause flash flooding across several Southeastern states.
The East Tennessee State University (ETSU) team was on its way to a game in Charleston to play The Citadel. However, the team's bus only made it as far as Exit 44 of Interstate 26, when it encountered flooding and was forced to stop on the shoulder.
“We have been stranded on a bus outside Asheville since 11 a.m. today due to flooding. We were headed to Charleston to play at the Citadel tomorrow at 2 p.m., but tonight we are stuck on a bus outside Asheville. I’m stuck sleeping on a bus in a parking lot,” the ETSU quarterbacks coach said. Tyler Dell said in a text message to Outkick's Clay Travis. “…There are no hotels with capacity or electricity, and no food nearby. There is no cell phone service all day and communications are still down throughout the region.”
Tre Lamb, the team's head coach, said the team was finally able to get out of the “flood trap” after 14 hours.
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East Tennessee State University's football team was stranded for 14 hours due to flooding caused by Hurricane Helen. (Tre Lamb/@CoachTreLamb9)
“I was very scared for several hours in low-lying ground and had to seek higher ground. I would like to thank the bus driver, athletic trainers, staff and board members for keeping everyone calm.” he wrote in a post to X.
Lamb said the unknown man took the coaches to the evacuation site and then informed them that the highway was open. They did not have access to any information, he said.
“I haven't talked to my family and loved ones yet, but we are preparing and ready to play @Citadel1842 whenever they decide,” Lamb wrote. “We pray for all those affected. What a terrible storm we have seen with our own eyes. Many families are stranded.”
Several other college football games this weekend have been postponed or canceled due to Hurricane Helen. This storm has been downgraded to a tropical storm or higher.
Fox weather forecaster rescues woman from car during live shot during Hurricane Helen floods
East Tennessee State University had to sleep on a bus all night because the highway was flooded. (Tre Lamb/@CoachTreLamb9)
Furman University postponed its game against Sanford, while Appalachian State canceled its scheduled game against Liberty, indicating the program has no intention of rescheduling the game.
Flooding is one of the most destructive hurricanes, starting well before Hurricane Helen made landfall along the coast of Florida, with reports of rapid rises as far south as Fort Myers on Florida's Gulf Coast. . FOX Weather's Ian Oliver said Thursday evening that storm surge was rapidly flooding roads around St. Pete Beach, with high tide still hours away.
The hurricane strengthened into a devastating Category 4 hurricane with winds of 140 miles per hour before making landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida. The monster hurricane produced a potentially “unsurvivable” 6m storm surge, devastating hurricane-force winds and flooding.
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FILE – Residents fill sandbags at Helen Howarth Park ahead of Hurricane Helen's possible arrival in Pinellas Park, Florida, on September 25, 2024. (Joe Radle/Getty Images)
The National Weather Service in Tallahassee issued an unusual polar wind warning for several Big Bend counties ahead of the eyewall's approach.
The storm is expected to kill at least 40 people and cause property damage between $15 billion and $26 billion.
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