The threat of severe weather that could endanger Alabama and Georgia playing football Saturday is real, legendary meteorologist James Spann told AL.com.
In a phone interview early Tuesday afternoon, ABC 33/40’s chief meteorologist said the worst-case scenario looks bleak for Tuscaloosa ahead of the scheduled 6:30 p.m. CT kickoff between No. 2 Georgia and No. 6 Alabama.
“We have the potential for a hurricane to make landfall in Mobile Bay,” Spann told AL.com. “The Alabama-Georgia game, a presidential visit, College GameDay. You had the big (Zach Bryan) concert in Auburn. It’s the National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores this weekend, which is huge. I mean, you couldn’t… it’s going to be a nightmare.”
The SEC has already issued a statement on storm monitoring ahead of Saturday’s games.
“The idea of shaking up the game is on the table,” Spann told AL.com. “I say it’s clearly on the table. It would be a nightmare for everyone involved. But if we have a Category 1 or Category 2 hurricane coming up to Mobile Bay on Saturday morning, I don’t know that you wouldn’t play that game in Tuscaloosa where you have the risk of having 50 mile-an-hour wind gusts, torrential rain and the risk of isolated tornadoes on top of everything else.”
If the storm had to be named, it would be Isaiah, which translates to “God is salvation.”
Spann said he didn’t envy the decision the league might have to make, but he cautioned about the timing of such a verdict. The forecast models still have uncertainty that should become much clearer by Wednesday afternoon.
Spann said he had no direct role in the decision-making process for this match. He advises Alabama officials on game days and gives forecasts to coaches for planning purposes.
Models would be able to predict with more certainty which direction this storm is heading. Aside from slowing down or changing direction wildly, Spann said the best-case scenario would be for the storm to move east, so the dry side would hit most of Alabama.
“But if it goes through west Alabama or Mississippi,” Spann said, “it’s going to be tough. I mean, really tough.”
Add in President Donald Trump’s planned visit, Secret Service security perimeters and equipment, and Spann said the logistics become even more complicated with the potential for extreme weather.
“I mean, it’s just the perfect storm,” Spann said. “A hurricane, a GameDay, a presidential visit, the top five teams playing at the same time. But again, I’m hoping maybe it’ll be a weaker tropical storm and its core will pass east of here. We’re on the dry side. Or maybe it’ll wait until Sunday, maybe it’ll slow down and the rain stops until Sunday. That’s on the table.”
And that’s why Spann is urging people to stay calm on Tuesday.
“There is not enough confidence in the forecast to make a decision at this time,” Spann said. “We’ll have the data tomorrow. The Hurricane Center will put out advisories on that this afternoon. And (Wednesday) you have the information you need to make a decision. So we’ll probably be about 24 hours away (at 1 p.m. Tuesday) if they decide to move the game and I hope they don’t.”
Spann also wanted to debunk a fake graphic circulating on social media claiming a decision had already been made and attaching his name to it.
“I hate these idiots on X (formerly Twitter) who start sharing these fake graphics,” Spann said. “You can go in there and see it. I probably had to write a big fake word on it to say there was nothing to it.”
Gn sports
