College football team stranded in buses on flooded interstate amid Hurricane Helene destruction

A assemblage shot squad was stranded connected buses successful the mediate of a flooded interstate successful North Carolina connected Friday night, arsenic Hurricane Helene continued to bring flash flooding crossed aggregate southeastern states. 

The team, East Tennessee State University (ETSU), was connected its mode to a crippled successful Charlston to play The Citadel. But the team's buses lone made it arsenic acold arsenic Exit 44 connected I-26 erstwhile they hit floodwaters and were forced to halt connected the shoulder. 

"We person been stranded connected our buses extracurricular of Asheville since 11AM contiguous due to the fact that of the flooding. We were headed to Charleston to play The Citadel time astatine 2PM, but are stuck and sleeping connected the buses contiguous successful the parking lot," ETSU backmost manager Tyler Dell said successful a substance message to OutKick's Clay Travis. "…No hotels with capableness oregon powerfulness and nary nutrient anyplace near. We haven't had compartment work each time and it's inactive down passim the area." 

The team's caput coach, Tre Lamb, said the squad was yet capable to get retired of the "flood trap" aft 14 hours. 

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The East Tennessee State University shot squad was stranded successful flooding caused by Hurricane Helene for 14 hours. (Tre Lamb/@CoachTreLamb9)

"It got precise scary connected immoderate debased crushed for a fewer hours, we had to find precocious ground. Shoutout to our autobus drivers, diversion trainers, staff, officers for keeping everyone calm," helium wrote successful a station connected X.

Lamb said a random alien gave the coaches a thrust to structure and aboriginal fto them cognize the road was open. He said they had nary entree to immoderate information. 

"Have yet to talk with families oregon loved ones but we are connected the mode and acceptable to play @Citadel1842 whenever they decide," Lamb wrote. "Prayers for each affected. What an atrocious tempest we saw archetypal hand. Lots of stranded families."

Hurricane Helene has already resulted successful the postponement oregon cancelation of much than 1 different assemblage shot games this weekend. The tempest was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone.

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The East Tennessee State University had to slumber connected their busses overnight due to the fact that the road was flooded. (Tre Lamb/@CoachTreLamb9)

Furman University postponed its clash against Samford, portion Appalachian State canceled its scheduled crippled against Liberty, and has indicated the programme did not mean to reschedule the game.

Flooding has been 1 of the biggest destructive forces of the hurricane, opening on Florida’s seashore good earlier Hurricane Helene made landfall, with rapidly rising waters reported arsenic acold southbound arsenic Fort Myers connected the state’s Gulf Coast. FOX Weather's Ian Oliver said the surge rapidly flooded streets astir St. Pete Beach connected Thursday evening, with precocious tide respective hours away.

The hurricane made landfall successful Florida’s Big Bend region, aft intensifying into a catastrophic Category 4 hurricane with winds of 140 mph. The monster hurricane unleashed a perchance "unsurvivable" 20-foot storm surge, catastrophic hurricane-force winds and flooding.

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FILE -Residents capable sandbags astatine Helen Howarth Park up of the imaginable accomplishment of Hurricane Helene connected September 25, 2024 successful Pinellas Park, Florida.  (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

The National Weather Service successful Tallahassee issued a uncommon utmost upwind informing for respective counties successful the Big Bend up of the attack of the eyewall.

The tempest resulted successful astatine slightest 40 deaths and is expected to origin $15 cardinal to $26 cardinal successful spot damage.

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