Todd Bowles (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are evacuating Florida ahead of approaching bad weather.

The state has yet to recover from the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene, but it’s already bracing for similar inclement weather as Hurricane Milton is expected to hit this week.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bucs are moving operations to New Orleans ahead of their game against the Saints on Sunday and will fly there on Tuesday.

“With Hurricane Milton approaching, the Buccaneers are evacuating Tampa and heading to New Orleans on Tuesday, ahead of their game there Sunday,” Schefter reported on Monday morning.

“Team was able to secure the necessary hotel rooms in New Orleans to avoid another flight Saturday.”

Milton, which has been building up in Mexico, started out as a tropical storm but has officially been classified as a hurricane and is headed towards Florida’s west coast. It is expected to make landfall this Wednesday.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Aren’t The Only Professional Team Affected By The Impending Storm

The National Hurricane Center describes Milton as a Category 4 storm bearing winds expected to increase up to 240km/h.

An evacuation order is in the making, with Florida Division of Emergency Management director Kevin Guthrie disclosing it will be the largest evac since 2017. Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for 51 of the state’s 67 counties.

The approaching hurricane has also affected the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers. The Lightning have canceled their preseason fixture vs. the Nashville Predators, while the Panthers have canceled their ring ceremony.