The New Orleans Saints preseason final against the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday was canceled “due to the impending impact of Hurricane Ida on the Gulf Coast region,” the team said in a statement on Friday. The Saints will travel to Dallas on Saturday to forestall the storm and stay there until Wednesday to train at the AT&T Stadium, a source told The Athletic.
“Due to the intensification of the hurricane during the day and following the recent tropical update, the team’s leadership made the decision in the best interests of all employees who may have been directly and indirectly affected by the storm,” the statement said the saint said.
Early Friday, the game at Caesars Superdome was postponed for seven hours to avoid complications from the hurricane that may be heading for New Orleans. The Saints said the potential cancellation “comes after ongoing communication with New Orleans City officials, the National Weather Service, Homeland Security, Governor Edwards and senior state officials and the National Football League.”
Ida, which turned into a Category 1 hurricane on Friday, is slated to hit southern Louisiana on Sunday evening, with New Orleans already on a hurricane watch. There is a chance it could develop into a Category 3 hurricane if it hits land.
The city has suffered from hurricanes in the past. Category 5 Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc in the New Orleans area in August 2005, causing more than 1,800 deaths and $ 125 billion in damage. Last year, Hurricane Zeta hit New Orleans in October and the team’s coaches and officials stayed at the Saints facility.
(Photo: Chris Graythen / Getty Images)
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