Special Events Hazards Safety Support Special Events Hazards Safety Support The Indy 500 RaceThe Indy 500 Race

Dave TucekDave Tucek

Warning Coordination MeteorologistWarning Coordination Meteorologist

National Weather Service, IndianapolisNational Weather Service, Indianapolis

NOAA’s National Weather ServiceNOAA’s National Weather Service

NOAA’s National Weather Service

NWS Mission: Same as Yours: NWS Mission: Same as Yours: Protect Life and Property Protect Life and Property

The National Weather Service provides weather, The National Weather Service provides weather, hydrologic, and climate forecasts and warnings for hydrologic, and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States, its territories, adjacent waters and the United States, its territories, adjacent waters and ocean areas, for the protection of life and property ocean areas, for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy. and the enhancement of the national economy.

Courtesy C. Gochenour

Public Event SupportPublic Event Support

• Weather safety at issue? NWS mission Weather safety at issue? NWS mission requires supportrequires support

• Public events may includePublic events may include• Outdoor Concert Facilities, Stadiums (*1787), TracksOutdoor Concert Facilities, Stadiums (*1787), Tracks

• County and State FairsCounty and State Fairs

• Outdoor Events (bike, run, fish tourneys, etc.)Outdoor Events (bike, run, fish tourneys, etc.)

• Support provided Support provided when requestedwhen requested• Requests can occur if active weather approaches Requests can occur if active weather approaches

* 1787 Stadiums in the U.S.* 1787 Stadiums in the U.S.

Large Venue Close CallsLarge Venue Close Calls

• Chicago Cub’s Wrigley Field, August 2008 Chicago Cub’s Wrigley Field, August 2008 (lightning, wind)(lightning, wind)

• Atlanta - Georgia Dome college basketball Atlanta - Georgia Dome college basketball tourney, March 2008 (tornado)tourney, March 2008 (tornado)

• Salt Lake City - Utah Jazz Delta Center Salt Lake City - Utah Jazz Delta Center basketball stadium, August 1999 (no game basketball stadium, August 1999 (no game but tornado)but tornado)

• Virginia Tech’s Lane Stadium (lightning)Virginia Tech’s Lane Stadium (lightning)

What’s the Right Call?What’s the Right Call?

• Balance between safety action / inaction and Balance between safety action / inaction and odds of weather impacting the eventodds of weather impacting the event

• Hazard notification vs. time to evacuateHazard notification vs. time to evacuate

• Tornadoes are rare, lead time is shortTornadoes are rare, lead time is short

• Evacuate vs. shelter in placeEvacuate vs. shelter in place– ““Stampede” injuries possible Stampede” injuries possible

Indianapolis Motor Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Track) SupportSpeedway (Track) Support

• Through 1994, support via phone request Through 1994, support via phone request from track safety officialsfrom track safety officials

• 1994 weather changed operations…1994 weather changed operations…

Indianapolis Metro AreaIndianapolis Metro Area

Track

Airport

Downtown

NWS

.

Indianapolis Motor SpeedwayIndianapolis Motor Speedway

•2.5 mile oval race track2.5 mile oval race track

•250,000 seat capacity250,000 seat capacity

•400,000 track capacity400,000 track capacity

•Largest and highest Largest and highest capacity sport facility in capacity sport facility in the worldthe world

•Four Churchill Downs Four Churchill Downs (Kentucky Derby Horse (Kentucky Derby Horse Track) could fit insideTrack) could fit inside

View from the StandsView from the Stands

Jumbotron

Race Day 2004 TimelineRace Day 2004 Timeline

May 30, 2004 Memorial Day Race DayMay 30, 2004 Memorial Day Race Day• Storm Prediction Center High Risk for IndianaStorm Prediction Center High Risk for Indiana

• Race crowd starts arriving 600 AM (filled by 11 AM)Race crowd starts arriving 600 AM (filled by 11 AM)

• Tornado Watch 1141 AM (volunteer spotters deploy)Tornado Watch 1141 AM (volunteer spotters deploy)

• First Tornado Warning 1238 PM (well south of First Tornado Warning 1238 PM (well south of Indianapolis)Indianapolis)

• Race begins ~ 100 PMRace begins ~ 100 PM

• 17 Tornado Warnings through ~ 600 PM 17 Tornado Warnings through ~ 600 PM

• Race ends ~ 600 PMRace ends ~ 600 PM

• Indianapolis Tornado Warning 612 PM Indianapolis Tornado Warning 612 PM

Memorial Day 2004 TornadoesMemorial Day 2004 Tornadoes

•Tornado ReportsTornado Reports•600 pm Little Point 600 pm Little Point

•615 pm Monrovia 615 pm Monrovia

•630 pm Mooresville 630 pm Mooresville

•645 pm NWS office645 pm NWS office

•700 pm I-465 & SR37700 pm I-465 & SR37

•740 pm I-465 & I-70 740 pm I-465 & I-70 (east side)(east side)

Memorial Day 2004Memorial Day 200416 Tornadoes 1PM – 11 PM

May 30 WISH-TV Indianapolis May 30 WISH-TV Indianapolis

Operations ChangeOperations Change

• Given the close call in 2004…Given the close call in 2004…

• Track safety officials request on-site supportTrack safety officials request on-site support

• NWS to provide Incident Meteorological NWS to provide Incident Meteorological SupportSupport• To agencies serving track officialsTo agencies serving track officials

• To track officialsTo track officials

• Support is for all hazardsSupport is for all hazards• WeatherWeather

• HazmatHazmat

All Hazard Partner SupportAll Hazard Partner Support

•Public Safety Agencies at Track Public Safety Agencies at Track

Fire / EMS: Speedway, IndianapolisFire / EMS: Speedway, Indianapolis

DHS, IDHS, Marion Co. DHS, FBI, FAA, DOTDHS, IDHS, Marion Co. DHS, FBI, FAA, DOT

Police: Speedway, Indianapolis, StatePolice: Speedway, Indianapolis, State

NWS Track Safety SupportNWS Track Safety Support

•Safety Officials in EOCSafety Officials in EOC

•Safety Officials Safety Officials coordinating crowd coordinating crowd

On Site SupportOn Site Support

•Wireless connection viewing SPC web data,•NWS workstation configuration / data

EOC Jumbo-tron Messaging EOC Jumbo-tron Messaging

On Site Private Meteorology On Site Private Meteorology Support to Track OfficialsSupport to Track Officials

DTN / Meteorlogix : Commercial Weather DTN / Meteorlogix : Commercial Weather Services Company - PC based radar and Services Company - PC based radar and forecast data used by track safety officials forecast data used by track safety officials

TV: Local TV stations provide live weather TV: Local TV stations provide live weather broadcasts from track on race daysbroadcasts from track on race days

TV : Local TV provided live, continuous weather TV : Local TV provided live, continuous weather coverage on May 30, 2004 (and for similar coverage on May 30, 2004 (and for similar events)events)

NWS - NWS CoordinationNWS - NWS Coordination

NWS office staffed 24 / 7NWS office staffed 24 / 7• Two meteorologists all the timeTwo meteorologists all the time

• Race Day 2004 – six to eight meteorologists Race Day 2004 – six to eight meteorologists at NWS for severe weather operationsat NWS for severe weather operations

Phone and email contact with NWS at Phone and email contact with NWS at track track

Races SupportedRaces Supported

© Copyright 2008 IMS LLC - 4790 West 16th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46222

NWS Race Day PreparationNWS Race Day Preparation

•Monitor weather potential as race day Monitor weather potential as race day approachesapproaches

•If Storm Prediction Center issues a Moderate If Storm Prediction Center issues a Moderate or High Risk of Severe Weather (either day of or or High Risk of Severe Weather (either day of or day prior to race and risk is for race day)day prior to race and risk is for race day)

• NWS initiates conference call to discuss NWS initiates conference call to discuss weather potentialweather potential

•Conference call includes same officials at Conference call includes same officials at track EOCtrack EOC

StormReady SpeedwayStormReady Speedway

•24 hour warning operations at Police Dept. and 24 hour warning operations at Police Dept. and at track EOC if neededat track EOC if needed

•Warning receipt via NOAA radio, cell, pager, Warning receipt via NOAA radio, cell, pager, TV, commercial radioTV, commercial radio

•Watch / Warning dissemination to crowd via Watch / Warning dissemination to crowd via Jumbo-trons, track radio station, PA systemJumbo-trons, track radio station, PA system

•Safety actions for patrons include shelter Safety actions for patrons include shelter below stands, in bathrooms, in tunnels, in place below stands, in bathrooms, in tunnels, in place

StormReady SupporterStormReady Supporter

Requirements: Multiple methods of warning Requirements: Multiple methods of warning dissemination and receipt, all-hazards plan, dissemination and receipt, all-hazards plan, safety trainingsafety training

Supporter Status: May 2008Supporter Status: May 2008

© Copyright 2008 IMS LLC - 4790 West 16th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46222

IssuesIssues

How can large venue officials best protect How can large venue officials best protect people?people?

Awareness, Preparedness Plan, Information Awareness, Preparedness Plan, Information SharingSharing

Thank You!Thank You!