Mississippi State hosted Troy State University in the annual homecoming game, Saturday, but students, visitors and football players were all asked to leave Davis Wade Stadium Saturday for a tornado warning during the beginning of the second quarter. Before the game started, wind and rain blanketed Scott Field and caused some people to worry about if the game was going to take place.
The National Storm Prediction Center had issued a tornado watch earlier Saturday for all of Mississippi, including the Starkville and MSU area.
According to the National Weather Service, a tornado warning means that conditions are right or for possible tornado development in and close to the watch area.
As game time approached, conditions continued to get worse across most of the region with rain and stronger thunderstorms forming to the west of Starkville. University officials monitored and kept a close eye to the sky throughout most of the game.
The North Mississippi Severe Storm Intercept Team, a student-faculty storm spotter group, which is based out of Mississippi State University department of geosciences, kept a closer eye on what was going on
around Starkville to warn football officials of any bad weather possibly making its way through the region.
During the first few moments of the second quarter, the wind began to pick up as well as the rainfall intensity. Many fans took cover below the stadium to escape the wet conditions.
As some fans took cover, the football game continued until the announcement came across the public address system.
“A tornado warning has been issued for Oktibbeha County,” the address said. “This means either the tornado has been sighted or seen on doppler radar. All gates are now open to those who want to leave.”
Before the announcement was over, fans began to make their way out the gates toward a stable structure. Some students took cover under the stadium or in nearby buildings.
“Since I grew up in Kansas, I have been taught since I was young not to panic during tornado-like weather,” Lawrence Weems, junior, said. “I just calmly exited the stadium and got in my truck and went home. I was pretty confident the tornado would not come through.”
Most fans and students left the stadium calmly and in an orderly manner. The large exits made it easy for the fans and students to exit.
About five minutes after the warning had been issued, the public announcer came back on the system and said, “everyone is asked to leave the grandstand area as severe weather makes it way toward the area. Please take cover immediately.”
The tornado warning had been issued by the National Weather Service in Jackson and had been radar indicated. Radar indicated tornadoes means that a specific thunderstorm has characteristics of a possible tornado.
The NOMISSIT team monitored every move of the storm. Some students climbed to the top of Hilbun Hall to get a better glance of the storm. A wall cloud was sighted near State Highway 12, but never formed a tornado, according to some reports.
“I monitored the situation from my apartment,” Andy Wood, junior broadcast meteorology major, said. “If the stronger part of the line had been over eastern Oktibbeha County, it might have been worse.”
At 3 p.m., the tornado warning had ended and no serious damage was reported across campus. However, during the storm passage, it dropped serious amounts of rain on the field causing the Scott Field to look like, as one student said “Davis Wade Lake.” Some branches snapped off trees and some small structural damage was done as well.
Most students were amazed how the situation was taken care of and how the fans and students were well prepared for the weather.
“It was very interesting that everyone was well prepared for the situation,” Lee Hamilton, junior said.
“I know that we barely escaped a dangerous situation,” Wood said.
The football game resumed after close to an hour and half delay. Although MSU could not capitalize on the long break, most fans were excited because of all the weird happenings that had taken place.
Fans and students were excited to see Bully slide through the north end-zone in a huge puddle.
For Homecoming 2001, students, fans, alumni and family were all introduced to a new weather that plagues our football team. Last season, the team braved snow, sleet, ice, rain and wind during two games. Now the football team can add another chapter to weird occurrences at Scott Field-a tornado warning.