The New Orleans Saints are preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Francine.

Head coach Dennis Allen announced that he sent his players home early on Wednesday as Hurricane Francine is expected to make landfall in southern Louisiana as a Category 2 storm. Nonetheless, Allen and his coaching staff will stay at the team facilities to ride out the storm.

“We will remain here tonight. At some point, we may find a corner to rest and catch some sleep,” Allen stated on Wednesday. “The worst of the weather is anticipated to occur later tonight into the early morning hours. That’s when we would be wrapping things up. I don’t foresee anyone leaving in those conditions.”

This Sunday, the Saints are set to play against the Dallas Cowboys in Texas.

Allen explained that the decision to stay rather than evacuate was made after careful evaluation: “We realized early on that this was a situation we could handle. We believed we could do our work while ensuring everyone is safe and taking care of their families, so we chose to stay.”

He emphasized that the team evaluates whether to evacuate on a situation-by-situation basis. For instance, during Hurricane Ida in 2021, the team successfully evacuated players, staff, and families to Texas before the impact of the Category 4 hurricane. Consequently, their home opener against the Green Bay Packers was moved to the Jacksonville Jaguars’ EverBank Stadium due to the storm.

“In the case of Hurricane Ida, we felt it was unsafe for us to continue operations and that people’s safety could be at risk,” noted Allen, who served as defensive coordinator back then. “So, we moved the entire football operation and their families to Texas.”

Quarterback Derek Carr shared his thoughts, stating he hopes “everyone stays safe.”

“We are praying for the entire city and state of Louisiana and everyone in the storm’s path,” Carr said, experiencing his first hurricane in his second year with the Saints. “We had our players praying for the city today. While we are just football players, there are greater concerns at hand right now.”

Hurricane Francine made landfall in Terrebonne Parish, approximately 30 miles south-southwest of Morgan City, as announced by the National Hurricane Center at 5 p.m. CDT. Maximum sustained winds were estimated to be around 100 mph.

By 6 p.m. CDT, Francine’s sustained winds decreased to 90 mph, with expectations that the storm will continue to hit central Louisiana throughout Wednesday evening. “Conditions are worsening in southern Louisiana,” the center reported on Wednesday afternoon.

Contributors: John Bacon, Thao Nguyen, Dinah Voyles Pulver, Doyle Rice