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TPS has a weapon against bad weather

Harsh weather can put a damper on sporting events.

High schools have very little time to keep people safe when weather comes rumbling through the area stadiums.  Tulsa Public School's Gil Cloud says they're covered during the football season.

"It's a mechanism called Thor Guard," Cloud said.  "When it goes off it sounds a siren letting us know lightning is in the area."

Cloud and his team then go to work.  First, they alert the referees the game must be stopped for at least 20 minutes.  Every time Thor Guard detects more lightning, the game must be stopped for an additional 20 minutes.

"We actually had an example of this last Spring," Cloud said.

During a track event, Thor Guard went off multiple times due to lightning in the area.  Eventually, the track meet was just canceled.

Once the game is stopped, Cloud said the next step is to make sure players, coaches, referees and spectators get to a safe place.

"If the weather is really really severe, we encourage them to go to a safe place within the school," Cloud said.

TPS doesn't have to worry about the weather flooding and ruining the field.  Cloud said they use turf, not grass.

Still, if flooding does become a problem on the streets, TPS will take it into account when deciding whether or not to cancel or postpone a game.

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