Saints Considering Evacuation Plans because of Hurricane Delta

Reports have the New Orleans Saints considering an evacuation of the team as early as Thursday.

UPDATE (12:05 CDT):  The Los Angeles Chargers vs. New Orleans Saints game could take place in Indianapolis at the Lucas Oil Stadium, home stadium of the Indianapolis Colts.  The stadium can accommodate the teams for a Monday Night Football battle between the all-time NFL passing leader Drew Brees and rookie quarterback Justin Herbert.

If the game is moved to Lucas Oil Stadium, the teams have not mentioned if fans will be in attendance. The Colts had 2,500 fans in the stadium for their home opener in September.

The hurricane has already caused the Missouri vs. LSU contest to be moved from Baton Rouge to Columbia, Missouri on Saturday for a noon kickoff at Faurot Field.

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Hurricane Delta may affect the New Orleans area this weekend. In the meantime, the Saints organization always has a contingency plan in case of weather-related emergencies. Per the Athletics' reporter Jeff Duncan, the team could evacuate to Indianapolis, Indiana, ahead of the approaching storm as early as Thursday.

Moving the Chargers-Saints game is a last-resort contingency, but the NFL has to be prepared for the possibility. Saints will decide later today whether they need to evacuate on Thursday. https://t.co/oAOU2xG3uW

— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) October 7, 2020

Executive Vice President/GM Mickey Loomis and head coach Sean Payton will decide on today if the team evacuation will take place on Thursday.

The Saints and Los Angeles Chargers are set to play on Monday at 7:15 PM CST in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.  Duncan states the two teams are discussing plans if the game should be rescheduled to after effects of Hurricane Delta.

Delta is currently in the Gulf of Mexico after pummeling Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula area.  The latest projected models has Hurricane Delta as a Category 2 storm moving northward to the Louisiana coast and could strengthen into a Category 3 major hurricane.  The expected path has Delta landing in Louisiana on either Friday night or early Saturday morning. 

The hurricane center announced, "There is an increasing likelihood of life-threatening storm surge and dangerous hurricane-force winds, especially along the coasts of Louisiana and Mississippi, beginning on Friday."

Stay tuned to more details about the Saints' decision.