Saints preparing for possible impacts of Tropical Storm Francine

We’ve approached the peak of hurricane season along the Gulf Coast, and the New Orleans Saints are monitoring the progress of Tropical Storm Francine as it makes its way north through the Gulf of Mexica. Francine is projected to be upgraded to hurricane status soon, though it’s too early to say just how strong its sustained wins and damaging impacts may be before it reaches Louisiana.

Saints head coach Dennis Allen said on WWL Radio Monday evening that he’ll hold a Zoom meeting with players on Tuesday, their normally-scheduled day off, to go over changes to the practice schedule for the rest of the week. Francine is expected to intensify into a hurricane before making landfall along the Southern Louisiana coast on Wednesday.

And as he noted earlier in the day when speaking with local media, “We do this better than anyone in the National Football League.” The Saints have had to work around dangerous storms in recent years like Hurricane Ida in 2021 and Hurricane Zeta in 2020, so they know the drill. They don’t have plans to evacuate from New Orleans at this time.

If you’re in the area, be safe. Finish your hurricane preparations soon and follow advisements from local authorities. Anyone who has ridden out a strong storm like this before can attest to how dangerous they can be, and if you’re in Tropical Storm Francine’s path, you shouldn’t take it lightly.