Hurricanes hit sports field managers in the Southeast

Hurricane Helene hit sports field managers in the Carolinas hard, causing cancelations and massive damage.
In Canton, N.C., the football field at Pisgah High School sustained severe damage for the second time in three years. In 2021, Tropical Storm Fred temporarily shut down the team’s stadium due to flooding.
The school’s softball field also took heavy damage, although Pisgah Athletic Director Heidi Morgan expects it to be repaired by the start of the 2025 season.
Similarly, Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, N.C., has partnered with Ferrum (Va.) College and Queens University of Charlotte (N.C.) to house the college’s fall athletics teams on their campuses.
At Appalachian State in Boone, N.C., Helene caused the cancellation of a game between the Mountaineers and Liberty on Sept. 28. According to a report from the Watauga Democrat, the App State administration is unsure if it will be able to host games on campus.
“When you start thinking about playing a football game, there’s a lot that goes around it when you’re in active recovery and relief operation,” Athletic Director Doug Gillin told the Watauga Democrat. “Some of our competitions, like volleyball, we can’t see the competition this week. We’re looking at options, whether we can or can’t play football on the 26th in Boone. We want to make sure that we’re very cognizant of what our community needs and that we’re additive in that regard. I think communication and safety is really the two things that we’re really trying to focus on.”
Hurricane Milton hits Florida
As Hurricane Milton barreled down on Florida, thousands of emergency responders sheltered at Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays. Late on Oct. 10, the roof of the 26-year-old stadium was ripped off by high winds.
According to St. Petersburg Fire Rescue, there were no injuries due to the incident.
The Rays will play at Tropicana Field until the end of its current lease with St. Petersburg in 2027. Phase 1 of the development and the new ballpark are projected to be ready by Opening Day 2028.
Elsewhere in Tampa, the Buccaneers received good news about Raymond James Stadium, which, according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, only suffered what the team calls “cosmetic damage.”
“While site surveys are still being conducted, Raymond James Stadium and the Bucs practice and training facility seem to have sustained only cosmetic damage,” Rapoport said in a post on Oct. 10.
The Buccaneers don’t return home to Raymond James Stadium until an Oct. 21 Monday night game against the Baltimore Ravens. The stadium will host an NCAA game between the University of South Florida Bulls and Memphis Tigers on Oct. 12, initially scheduled for Oct. 11.
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