Category 4 Hurricane Helene hit the shores of Florida, casting doubt over the highly anticipated Eagles vs. Buccaneers game. The storm caused widespread devastation, leaving millions without power. However, as the hurricane moved toward Tennessee, life in Florida is gradually returning to normal, and the game now looks set to proceed as planned. Philadelphia fans, eager to support the Birds, have resumed their travel plans to Tampa after initially altering them due to the storm.
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With Airports in Florida resuming operations again, the Eagles fans who were afraid that they would have to cancel their trip are now relieved. The Philadelphia Airport is already packed as the news of the settled weather has reached the fans.
Fans spoke with Nikki Dementri of CBS Philadelphia, revealing that most of them planned to fly out on Thursday but couldn’t. However, many passionate NFL enthusiasts were willing to fight the storm to make sure that the Birds got their support. This meant making sure that they had a place to stay in Tampa.
With severe weather conditions caused by incessant flooding, there were cancellations at the last minute, with fans stating that they had to change hotels, especially the ones who booked a serene water-facing accommodation. Many are still figuring it out, hoping to find a place before they land.
” We had to change hotels because we had a waterfront hotel that was 8-foot underwater in the lobby. I hope we have a place to stay. We got an Airbnb. Our hotel plans got canceled. Just as of five minutes ago, we figured we’re staying.”
A few took a more scenic land route to make their way into the city, opting for a long drive from Philadelphia. After jumping through all the hoops, booking flights, and looking for hotels, what can the fans expect once they land in the city and attend the game?
Hurricane Helene may affect the Eagles vs Buccaneers game
Even though Hurricane Helene has moved on from the city, there will be some after-effects of a Category 4 hurricane with peak winds estimated at 140 mph. The meteorologists predict a 40% chance of rain during the game. The likely winds to blow at the speed of 75 mph on Friday will likely die down by the game day, with chances of only light winds.
However, the Eagles fans might have to face mugginess and extreme heat, with temperatures speculated to rise to the mid-80s, with triple-digit heat indexes. The NFL has given the go-ahead but the venue could change if Raymond James Stadium is chosen as a disaster-relief site for the Hurricane.
Both the Bird and Bucs enter the game with a 2-1 record. The Eagles will be without Devonta Smith who is still out with concussion, while both AJ Brown and Lane Johnson are questionable. For Tampa Bay, Calijah Kancey and Antoine Winfield Jr. are out, WR Jalen McMillan remains doubtful, and Luke Goedeke, RB Bucky Irving, WR Kameron Johnson, TE Ko Kieft, and NT Vita Vea are all questionable.
The Buccaneers won the last match between the two teams, eliminating the Birds from last season’s wild-card game.
