New Orleans Saints coaches chose to stay at their team headquarters on Wednesday night as Hurricane Francine hit southeast Louisiana, believing it was safer and more practical than trying to travel home during the worst part of the storm.
“We’ll probably find a corner of the room to lay down in at some point in time and get a little sleep,” said Allen. “The most severe weather is expected this evening and into the early morning hours, which is when we’d be trying to wrap up. I don’t see anyone trying to leave in those conditions.”
The Saints practiced an hour earlier than usual on their indoor field at the team’s headquarters. After practice, players were sent home to wait out the storm, while coaches stayed behind to prepare for Sunday’s game against the Cowboys in Dallas.
“We have a job to do, even when things aren’t ideal, we still have to stay focused,” said Saints quarterback Derek Carr. “I’ll be at home studying tonight, but I’ll have all my kids next to me.”
“I owe it to my teammates to be prepared and ready for tomorrow,” Carr continued.
“We’re human, but we also know we have responsibilities. We also know our city has been through a lot. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Louisiana as the storm passes through.”
Francine hit Louisiana on Wednesday evening as a Category 2 storm, which forecasters said could cause deadly storm surges, widespread flooding, and damaging winds along parts of the Gulf Coast.
It made landfall about 30 miles southwest of Morgan City, with maximum sustained winds near 100 mph, the National Hurricane Center reported at 4 p.m. CDT.
Allen said the team hoped to return to their regular schedule on Thursday if the greater New Orleans area avoided major damage.
The Saints headquarters has generator power and has withstood stronger storms than Francine, such as Katrina in 2005 and Ida in 2021. However, the team evacuated for those storms and other severe ones due to the danger and major disruptions they caused.
