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Amid the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will play at home against the Kansas City Chiefs on October 2.
The Category 4 storm didn’t hit the Tampa area as strongly as anticipated, and the Tampa Bay Sports Authority told the NFL on Thursday, September 29, that the game could be played as scheduled per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. The sports organization also deferred the final decision to the NFL, Stroud noted. The NFL previously named Minneapolis as the host site if Tampa couldn’t host the game.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said she also told the NFL that the game could go on as planned. Castor also expressed her hopes via social media and noted the only risk is that the Bucs will “kick a–” against the Chiefs.
“We made it through—now the recovery efforts begin. I can’t thank our City of Tampa teams enough. Our push crews are going out in full force to clear debris and keep our city safe,” Castor wrote Thursday morning before the announcement. “On another note: we’re doing our best to keep the Buccaneers game here Sunday. I have assured the NFL that the only disturbance here Sunday is when the Bucs kick a–.”
“Our thoughts and prayers remain with the many thousands in the Southwest Florida region who have been severely impacted by Hurricane Ian,” the Bucs official statement reads. “We are also very thankful that the Tampa Bay area was spared the most damaging consequences of this powerful storm. We have informed the NFL, after consulting with local and state agencies, that we are ready to play Sunday night’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Raymond James Stadium as originally scheduled.”
“We would like to thank all of the local government agencies and the thousands of emergency personnel who worked tirelessly over the past few days to ensure that our area would be ready to respond if needed,” the statement continued.
Bucs Adjusted Amid Hurricane Ian
The brunt of Hurricane Ian hit south of Tampa, decimating cities such as Fort Myers. The hurricane also caused power outages in Hillsborough County, where Tampa is located.
Bucs players, coaches, and their families relocated to Miami for practices this week. The Miami Dolphins have a Thursday night away game for Week 4, which helped make the facilities available for the Bucs.
“We would also like to acknowledge the Miami Dolphins organization for their assistance and hospitality in allowing us to use their practice facilities this week,” the Bucs statement read.
Bucs Offer Relief Efforts
The Bucs organization also acknowledged the work of “first responders and emergency personnel” in response to the hurricane. In addition, the Bucs organization also pledged support of disaster relief to Florida residents amid hurricane recovery.
“We also want to express our sincere appreciation to the first responders and emergency personnel who are already battling the elements, saving lives, and helping our neighbors in those most impacted areas to our south,” the Bucs statement read. “We will have additional information soon on ways we can join together to support our community and those most impacted by the storm.”