Expected Hurricane Rafael: What’s in store for MS and Saturday’s Ole Miss game vs. Georgia?
Where is Tropical Storm Rafael heading?
Rafael, a new tropical storm is spinning through the Caribbean, has its long-term sights set on the U.S.
The last time Ole Miss football fans were worried about the potential for tropical weather impacting a football game, the results on the football field were not positive for the home team.
That was the weekend Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 3 storm. That was also when the University of Kentucky shocked Ole Miss in Oxford, 20-17.
On Monday, Tropical Storm Rafael formed in the Caribbean. This storm is predicted to intensify into a hurricane and threaten the U.S. Gulf Coast by this weekend, the National Hurricane Center said.
On Saturday, No. 12 Ole Miss is hosting No. 2 Georgia that will make or break the rest of the Rebels season. More than 300,000 people are expected to pack into Oxford with SEC Nation hosting its pregame show from The Grove early Saturday.
However, given significant uncertainties in the long-range forecast track and intensity, it is too soon to determine what, if any, impacts could occur in the U.S., the hurricane center told USA Today.
According to some tracks, the storm could hit Mississippi by Saturday, but there are no clear cut details at the moment.
“There has never been a tropical storm or hurricane landfall in Texas, Louisiana or Mississippi during November and December. So that would be quite a milestone, but this does not mean that people along the central and western Gulf Coast should let their guard down,” AccuWeather lead hurricane expert Alex DaSilva told USA Today.
It would also be a major milestone if Ole Miss pulled off the upset against Georgia. It appears time will tell for both the weather and the major SEC matchup.
Ross Reily can be reached by email at rreily@gannett.com or 601-573-2952. You can follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter @GreenOkra1.
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