Ike Will Threaten Texas-Arkansas

The game isn't going to be played Saturday. The storm may change tracks. But the decision has to be made, and made soon, for a variety or logistical purposes. As it stands, 60-70 mph winds, torrents or rain, and the threat of tornadoes isn't going to mix with 100,000 people in a stadium.

The bad weather may not come to fruition. But Bellmont cannot wait to see if that happens, so they have to make a decision soon. As it stands, the ****** weather is forecast to happen, so Dodds and Co. have to go with that.
 
Waa.

Play the game as scheduled. Let's get arky out of the way and move on.

Seriously, I would still be suprised if the game isn't played this Saturday. Short of lighting, bad weather and a few extra guests (and it won't even be that many) shouldn't cause this game to be posponed. Weather is just part of the game. Even bad weather.
 
UTIceberg,
While I admire your manliness, if Ike makes landfall due south of Austin as a CAT 3 (as projected now), chances are good that we will have sustained winds of 50-60mph for an hour or more, with gusts up to 90mph. Toss in torrential rains and it will be kind of hard watching Colt throw a pass. Punts and kickoffs will be fun as well.

Yesterday, southwest FL had sustained winds of 30 to 40mph with a number of tornado warnings. They were 200 miles away from the center of Ike, which was barely a CAT 1.

The entire Texas coast will be under a tornado watch, and nearly 2 million people will be displaced.

Feel free to climb Mt. Bonnell and howl at the wind.
 
If this thing intensifies, and it really is still a tropical storm when it gets to Austin, we're not talking about "bad weather" here. We're talking 60-75 mph winds, lightning, possible tornado outbreaks. You can't possibly expect them to hold the game if that's a possibility.

I think the only change it DOESN"T get postponed is if it turns way south or doesn't intensify. Even if it swings north to Houston, then you have the highway clogging they're talking about.
 
I want the game to be played this Sat.and the Horns to kick some hawg asses. I was going to the game. I will be disappointed for several reasons if it is postponed. But, this game WILL be postponed unless Ike takes a sharp turn for Mexico in the next 24 hours.

Belmont will have no choice but to postpone it. This ain't an ordinary thunderstorm or weather event the players play thru and the fans endure (example 1984 RRS). Even if Ike is a Cat 2 storm it will be a formiable hurricane and will not be something you want to be out on the field during or in the stands. Also, as has been mentioned, the central Texas area will be on the NE side of the storm as it approaches and will get heavy continual rain, high winds and possible tornadoes.

Dodds / Belmont are just not going to take the risk if this thing slams the Texas coast as expected Sat. morning.

Texas vs. Arkansas - Sat. Sept. 27th Time TBA
 
Look, I'm not trying to be an ***, show how "tough" I am or anything, but I think people are overreacting to this thing. To suggest the weather in Austin, TX will be as awful as some are predicting is extreemly unlikely.

I live in Houston and regularly see people overreact to storms and weather. I'm not talking about people who live in Galveston, Friendswood, Baytown, etc. where there are real concerns about your house being under water and whatnot. I'm talking about the folks who live in The Woodlands or Katy who feel they need to "evacuate" because their part of town will decend into post Katrina New Orleans-like conditions.

I think that's whats going on here. Austin isn't gonna have sustained 75 miles an hour winds. It will probably be raining, but that's just football.

Play the game.
 
Former meteorologist assistant at NASA here, tracked hurricanes for awhile, albeit with relatively "roll the dice" 80's techology...

Ike is absolutely going to hit the Texas coast (IMO). Where? I think south of Corpus. Swing up west of Austin about 12 mph. Meaning 6-7 inches of rain here, about 35-40 mph sustained winds, up to 50 in thunderstorms. A pretty nasty Saturday.

Game WILL BE CANCELED is my bet. I don't see ANY WAY with the large evac operations that have to occur, using primary routes between Houston, S.A., Dallas, and Austin, that this will go. The only exception is if Ike does something really loopy (one model has it doing a 180 and heading NE towards LA/AL/FL. Doubtful.

I think Ike, due to its size and mass, will slide under the advancing trough from the 4 corners and go a little south, then get sucked up west of Austin by 50-80 miles, meaning we're on the worse side of the storm. If it turns north early and skirts east of Austin, a lot better for us but still with all the evacs, I don't see any game.

I'm thinking they'll play 27th (ugh!) or better still maybe in the Nov. lull before aggy.

If none of this occurs, oh well. I'm wrong.
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Iceberg - the only way the game won't be postponed would be if the track turns towards a northern Mexico landfall (which is still a possibility). If that doesn't happen, you are truly living in a dream world if you don't think Austin isn't going to see 50+ mph winds and several inches of rain. Tornadoes would also be a definite possibility.
 
Iceberg, think of the PR nightmare UT would have if they held the game, added to an already jammed traffic flow, fans using up gas that could become scarce, water, etc. The state legislators would have a field day slamming UT (who they fund, btw) so they can show their constituents what a great leader they are.

Got to take all perspectives when looking at this.
 
Iceberg, and other "tough guys"....

Did any of you ever think that the 500,000 or so who will be evacuating from the Coastal Bend area may need (a) clear highways and (b) hotel rooms?

What better way to free up 100's of hotel rooms than reschedule the game.
 
The word on the street is we'll hear something definitive from Belmont sometime today. Considering they have to make that call today, I think absolutely cancelled.
 
It's amazing. We're only 3 years removed from Rita and Katrina and some people still don't get it.

Iceberg and anyone else with doubts, find someone who was here for Carla and ask them how that was. Right now, I'm reading posts from experienced mets that normally make cautious statements and they're very concerned that this could be another Carla.

Here's the bottom line, if Ike is CAT 3 by end of day, then UT would be very foolish not to postpone the game. People will need 24 to 48 hours to evacuate.

And Rip76, if you're reading this, stay safe.
 
First comment is that tracks can move a lot in 24-48 hours. Last year with Hurricane Dean we all thought we would get hit head on here with a Cat 5 and it ended up passing 112 miles south of us (though we still got hit with strong tropical storm force winds that knocked out power and water service for a day). So Ike can still move dramatically even before a decision on the game must be made.

That said, it is almost comical reading some of the posters saying this wouldnt be a big deal. If Ike is a Cat 3 when it makes landfall it will bring a tremendous storm surge with flooding, high winds and a crapload of rain and people will die. I am as big a football fan as anyone and even plan to fly back for this game but lets keep some perspective here if there is any danger to life you cancel the game and folks like me have the inconvenience of canceling our flights but everyone lives to see this game two weeks later. Having been through tropical storms and seen what hurricanes can do I can tell you it isnt fun, it isnt something you want to mess with and it isnt something you take lightly. My only hope is they make a decision today or early tomorrow since I fly out on Friday.
 
Well I can tell you, I've already cancelled MY room, so that's one extra for the evacuees right there.

For the "tough guys", I'd like to see how you'd handle seeing a funnel cloud coming at you in the upperdeck, and seeing the mass panic of people heading for the exits.....

It would be fun if they moved it to Dallas (Would save me the trouble of driving down), but I think Texas Stadium would hold more than the Cotton Bowl.

Man I bet Jerry wishes his stadium would have completed 5 months earlier. He'd have personally invited everyone to make the trip up. Especially since the game is against his alma mater.
 
Carla was a once in a lifetime storm, and held together over land all the way up into Missouri, where it caused flooding. Carla went through Austin and caused a fair amount of damage. I lived through Carla in Galveston, and we did not leave the island. Unbelievably powerful hurricane, very memorable.
There is no indication Ike is another Carla, or the latest storm of the century, or whatever other hyperboles will be tossed about in the next few days.
I suppose there is always that slim possibility, though. So if you live in a low-lying area that floods, you should take appropriate precautions and evacuate.
But assuming another Carla is coming to the coast, or to Austin-really overstating reality at this point.
More people die in most hurricanes in traffic accidents and from critically ill or elderly people being evacuated than from the storm itself-excepting cities built below sea-level protected by earthen levees, I can see the necessity of evacuating everyone in that case.
But I see that UT has to make a decision, and may well have to postpone the game Saturday if there will be a mass evacuation from coastal areas. Many of those people will come to Austin.
 
Statalyzer,
If Ike continues on his current path and keeps intensifying as projected, then the weather for Saturday in Austin will be 70mph winds with rainfall totals in excess of 10 inches.

Again, things may change, but if they don't, that is our Saturday weather.

As I mentioned above, Ike's windfield is HUGE. If he lands near Corpus as CAT 2 or 3, we'll experience tropical force winds almost simultaneously. To put this another way, the coast of Texas could experience tropical force winds 24 hours prior to landfall.
 
The 10 A.M. update just went up and it isn't looking any better. If anything MORE projection models have the storm pointed at Austin
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I'm afraid the game is going to get canceled/moved...

How about a Monday night game in DKR? That would be awesome.
 
Are people really this dense? The weather in Austin really has nothing to do with whether or not this game will be rescheduled. You'll have potentially half a million people using I-35, I-10, 290, etc trying to get out of Dodge. These are the same highways we'd be using to get to the game. On top of that, these people will need hotel rooms and other aid that'll probably find in Austin.

Can you imagine the PR with the Red Cross feeding displaced Texans in Austin while 90,000 fans are packed in DKR watching a the Horns mudhole Piggy? Won't happen.
 
I think a weekday game is highly unlikely. The only real options are 9/27 (which obviously conflicts with ACL Fest), sometime in December, or not at all.
 
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