Alabama prepares for tropical storm threat during major football weekend

Tuscaloosa is preparing for severe weather to overlap with one of its busiest football weekends, when Alabama is scheduled to host Georgia. City officials said police, firefighters and other resources normally assigned to the game might be needed for flooding or other damage elsewhere in the city. [1]

The University of Alabama said the game remained scheduled and that it was coordinating with athletics, public safety, emergency management and security partners as the storm developed. The scheduled kickoff was 6:30 p.m. local time in Tuscaloosa, according to city reporting. [1][2]

Tropical Storm Isaias formed in the southwest Gulf, and hurricane and storm-surge watches were issued for parts of the central Gulf Coast. Local meteorologists said the system was expected to move through the Gulf and become the Atlantic season’s first hurricane. [2]

Tuscaloosa already has a deployment plan for home games, but Mayor Walt Maddox said officials were considering how those resources could be moved if another part of the city required assistance. The mayor said the game could not take priority over an emergency response. [1]

Alabama Power said hurricane preparation gives it more time to position crews across the state before outages occur. After the storm, crews were expected to assess damage and begin restoration, while customers were warned to avoid downed power lines. [3]