On Friday night, Hurricane Helene's effects were severely felt in North Carolina, where the East Tennessee State University football team became stranded on their buses. They were en route to Charleston for a game against The Citadel, but floodwaters halted their progress at Exit 44 on Interstate 26, forcing them to stop on the shoulder.

Tyler Dell, the quarterback coach, revealed in a text that the team had been stuck for over 14 hours since 11 AM. With no hotels available due to the storm's aftermath and no nearby food options, they were forced to remain on the buses overnight without cell service, making it difficult to contact loved ones. The head coach, Tre Lamb, later reported that they managed to escape the challenging situation with the assistance of a kind stranger, which allowed them to learn that the highway had reopened.

Lamb acknowledged the fear of being in a flood-prone area and praised the team’s drivers and staff for maintaining calm throughout the ordeal. As the storm wreaked havoc, causing the postponement or cancellation of other college football games, it was noted that Hurricane Helene had previously intensified into a Category 4 hurricane with devastating winds and flooding. The storm's aftermath has already resulted in significant property damage and tragic loss of life across the region.