Virginia Tech football almost got its game against Purdue underway on time, but torrential rains pushed kickoff back by about 15 minutes. That didn’t last long.
A weather system rolled through less than 10 minutes into the first quarter and brought the game to a screeching halt. Fans were asked to evacuate and seek shelter.
Some of the Hokies faithful gathered together in the men’s bathroom.
Others took shelter in the concourse.
Things got so chaotic that the concession stands even started handing out free food.
What started as a steady drizzle quickly escalated to a full-blown downpour. And with the rain came the lightning and thunder.
Wind arrived shortly thereafter.
As the storm rolled through the Blacksburg area, it wreaked havoc on Lane Stadium. Heavy rain saw water pour down from the upper deck onto the lower bowl below.
Stairs never stood a chance.
Virginia Tech’s field flooded.
Badly.
The scoreboard ultimately could not withstand the weather and shorted out. (Coincidentally enough, the same thing happened at North Carolina State after a lightning strike!)
Although the weather was not great for quite some time, and the radar indicated that more rain might be on the way — Virginia Tech deserves a lot of credit for its drainage system. The field at Lane Stadium was pretty dried up by the time that the downpour let up a little bit.
Pretty impressive!
The Hokies will get back on the field eventually. It’s a question of whether their fans choose to stick around or head back home — though the free hot dogs certainly help!