Aquatics Center - Inclement Weather Policies

Augusta
Aquatics Center

Inclement Weather Policies

Augusta Aquatic Center stays compliant with National Lightning Institutes' (NLSI) Section 4.8:

Lightning Safety at Swimming Pools
(Applies to indoor/outdoor pools)

Lighting’s Behavior is random and unpredictable. We recommend a very conservative attitude towards it. Preparedness and quick responses are the best defenses toward the lighting hazards.

Swimming pools are connected to a much larger surface area via underground water pipes, gas lines, electric and telephone wiring, etc. Lightning strikes to the ground anywhere on this metallic network may induce shocks elsewhere.

The National Lightning Safety Institute recommends the following swimming pool safety procedures:

Designate a responsible person as the weather safety lookout. That person should keep an eye on the weather. Use a “weather radio” or the Weather Channel or other TV programs to obtain good localized advanced weather information.
When thunder and/or lightning are first noticed, use the Flash to Bang (F-B) method to determine its rough distance and speed. This technique measures the time from seeing lightning to hearing associated thunder. For each five seconds, from F-B, lightning is one mile away. Thus, F-B of 10= 2 miles; 15=3 miles; 20=4 miles; etc. At a F-B count of thirty, the pool should be evacuated. People should be directed to safe shelter nearby.
Pool activities should remain suspended until thirty minutes after the last thunder is heard. The distance from Strike A to Strike B to Strike C can be from 5-8 miles away. And it can strike much farther away.