ATLANTA — The Houston Rockets’ matchup against the Atlanta Hawks originally set for Saturday has been postponed due to a winter storm hitting the area.
The NBA announced that this decision was made to ensure the safety of players, fans, and staff amid the severe weather conditions and hazardous icy roads affecting the Atlanta region.
The league indicated that they will provide a new date for the game at a later time. The Rockets had already arrived in Atlanta ahead of the announcement regarding the postponement.
On Friday, the winter storm left behind significant snowfall and ice, with expectations of refreezing on the roads by Saturday night.
As a result of the winter storm, power outages increased in the Atlanta area, with reports indicating that over 110,000 customers were without electricity due to downed trees impacting power lines, predominantly in the city.
In another incident on Friday, a Delta Air Lines flight bound for Minneapolis had to abort its takeoff, resulting in injuries to four passengers. Delta spokesperson Morgan Durrant stated that the aircraft encountered an engine complication.
The incident took place amid the adverse weather conditions that led to multiple flight cancellations and delays at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest airport. However, officials were unable to ascertain whether the incident was directly linked to the weather conditions.
The Boeing 757-300, carrying 201 passengers along with two pilots and five flight attendants, executed an emergency evacuation using inflatable slides and was later transported back to the terminal.
One injured passenger required hospitalization, while three others were treated for less severe injuries at the airport.
