Hurricane Helene made landfall in North Carolina on Sept. 27 as a Category 4 storm causing mass destruction across the state. The storm left towns in ruins, flooded, some completely washed away.
Hurricane Helene is regarded as the second deadliest hurricane to make landfall in the midland U.S. just behind Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Sports teams throughout North Carolina have had to take various safety measures in the midst of Hurricane Helene’s devastation to avoid the storm’s course and damage it has created, making it unsafe for some teams to travel or host games.
The Appalachian State Mountaineers football team were originally slated to play Liberty in their home stadium in Boone, North Carolina. However due to Helene’s aftermath, the game was canceled and has yet to be rescheduled.
In addition to the game being postponed, App State’s scheduled field hockey match against Bellarmine University on Friday was also called off due to inclement weather.
The East Tennessee football team also had to make quick preparations due to Hurricane Helene’s damage as flash flooding delayed their arrival to Charleston, South Carolina for their game against The Citadel, forcing them to spend the night in North Carolina.
High schools are also among those affected by Helene as board members discuss rescheduling the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) playoffs for the first time since Hurricane Matthew in 2016. Marilyn “Que” Tucker, North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s Commissioner, spoke on the situation of the team and schools future of resuming activities.
“With the devastation they have had, I’m not sure one week would do it,” Tucker stated. “Until we can get a true assessment to when schools can return to play, and just be able to open up school, we can’t make decisions at this point.”
Teams and ownership groups of the NFL are giving over $8 million to support the communities that were affected by Helene. The donation will deliver critical resources towards those who were severely affected by the storm. Along with the donation, the NFL will also be hosting a “Hurricane Helene disaster relief auction” associated with the Red Cross to further support the recovery efforts.
The Carolina Panthers owner along with his wife, David and Nicole Tepper, partnered their organization “David and Nicole Tepper Foundation” with the Carolina Panthers franchise and Charlotte Football Club to announce a $3 million dollar commitment to Hurricane Helene relief efforts in communities in need in the Carolinas. The funds will be supporting immediate and long term humanitarian assistance for the recovery efforts such as food banks, pantries, local community foundations, and other agencies that provide assistance all throughout the Carolinas.
“This is our home and we are committed to supporting relief efforts throughout the region by providing critical resources and aiding the efforts of our heroic first responders,” said Tepper. “The impact on our community has been severe, but Carolinians are resilient and courageous, and together we will rebuild and recover.”
Though Hurricane Helene has caused monumental amounts of damage and has taken lives of over 100 people, efforts all over the south have shown relentless strength to give those in need the help they deserve and begin rebuilding communities we grew to love.
