With the start of the Major League Baseball season, the safety of players and fans is top of mind, especially regarding the weather. A recent study found that nearly one in every 14 MLB games has lightning within an unsafe distance. Out of 10,000 games played between 2016 - 2019, lightning hit at an unsafe distance of 8 miles or less more than 700 times. This puts the potential of a lightning casualty event at high risk because millions of people are sitting outside watching these games being played. In April 2022, a father and daughter were struck by lightning, leaving a spring training game at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL. The pair spent two days in the hospital. In September 2022, a game between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox was delayed after lightning struck Yankee Stadium.
Baseball kicks off several outdoor events in the spring and summer, including concerts. In July 2013, a Pearl Jam concert at Chicago’s Wrigley Field was delayed for three hours after a massive thunderstorm, complete with lightning moved across the stadium.
It’s never a matter of if, but when severe weather will impact a venue.
Stadium safety crews and live event coordinators need to ahead plan to handle severe weather-related events, including lightning strikes. Each year, thunderstorms produce up to 25 million cloud-to-ground lightning flashes across the U.S. AccuWeather For Business has the tools needed to keep your attendees and staff safe.
Superior Accuracy™: Better informed, Better protected, Better prepared
Be proactive with AccuWeather SkyGuard WarningsⓇ backed by Superior Accuracy, which will deliver site-specific alerts and warnings well before severe weather hits, giving you the much-needed time to prepare.
AccuWeather’s SkyGuard Warnings help you protect guests, staff, and talent as well as equipment and rigging before severe weather rolls in. We provide customized warnings specific to your venue locations and the severe weather threats that could impact safety and operations not only for lighting but also for high winds, heat, heavy rainfall, tornadoes, and more.
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SkyGuard® Warnings service benefits:
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How SkyGuard® Warnings are different:
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Protect fans, talent, and staff from severe weather, manage operations, prepare equipment and rigging ahead of changing conditions, and postpone rather than cancel - all with SkyGuard. Contact us today for a SkyGuard demo.