Lightning Safety in Division-One College Football

Lightning is a common weather phenomenon associated with severe thunderstorms. However, the general public often underestimates or misunderstands the threat of lightning. The phrase “When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors!” created by the National Weather Service (NWS), specifically the Lightning Safety Council, is a commonly known approach to teaching children to practice severe weather safety. However, adults are the main group at risk of lightning-related injuries. Most adults today underestimate lightning fatality risk, as many have the ‘It will never happen to me’ mindset and were not taught the catchy NWS slogans. Evacuation time constraints, limited shelter, and the momentum of a panicked crowd cause an increase in vulnerability. Our research focuses on Division One National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football stadiums and the effectiveness of their response to lightning threats. We analyzed specific stadiums across the United States along with how frequently lightning occurs in the areas. We used National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) data to examine lightning density within a specific radius of the stadium surrounding the time of a football game. We looked at potential differences in stadium response plans based on how frequently lightning occurred in the area, and how effective these responses were. Our research group also analyzed survey data targeted at understanding college students’ responses to incoming lightning threats during a football game. A future direction of study would be to compare the survey data from one college to another college in a different region.