Years ago, I was system engineer and audio crew chief for an outdoor Dan Fogelberg solo show at a winery. It was a beautiful show, but there was lightning across the valley that I could see and hear several seconds later from my mix position perch at the top of the hillside venue. With each flash, I could count: "One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi, etc." to gauge the distance, and it was clearly approaching. As we all know, sound travels about 1/5 of a mile per second.
I asked the stage manager at what point they would stop the show, to which I was told, "That's not your call." I told him that I couldn't have my system energized with an artist on stage in a thunderstorm, and when the count was under "Five Mississippi" I would turn off the PA, because I couldn't take the risk. I was told in no uncertain terms that I was a jerk. Five minutes later, the storm hit and lightning struck the vineyard, but suddenly I was the hero because I had stopped the show by then.
By now, we've all seen the videos of the Aug. 13 stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair, moments before country duo Sugarland was to perform. Opening act Sara Bareilles had concluded her set a half hour before. The collapse injured dozens – many seriously – and immediately killed four. IATSE Local 30 truss spot operator Nathan Byrd died later that night in the hospital.
This was the third of four outdoor shows this summer in which abrupt, heavy winds destroyed some or all of a stage. The roof fell back onto trucks at the Ottawa Bluesfest stage 20 minutes into Cheap Trick's July 17 performance, narrowly missing the band and injuring Upstaging driver Sandy Sanderson. On Aug. 7 in Tulsa, OK, winds blew a 15-foot video screen off the back of a stage, forcing Flaming Lips' bassist Michael Ivins to leap out of the way. Four more died from a stage collapse at the Pukkelpop Festival in Belgium, just days after the disaster at Indy.
Four times between 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., Indy State Fair officials contacted the National Weather Service (NWS), who were predicting a thunderstorm would reach the fairgrounds between 9 and 9:30 p.m. It was expected to contain heavy rain, lightning, strong winds and 1- to 2-inch hail. At 8:23 p.m., AccuWeather issued a warning for 60-mph winds. At 8:39 p.m. the NWS issued their severe thunderstorm warning for the county – its strongest alarm.
Six minutes later, at 8:45 p.m., the crowd was told that there was bad weather in the area, and if it worsened, the concert could be postponed and were told to seek shelter in a nearby building, but few left. A few minutes later, the State Fair director and the State Police Captain in command say they had decided to evacuate the grandstand, but before they could do so, the now-famous 60-mph wind hit the stage at 8:49 p.m., an unanticipated precursor to the actual thunderstorm, which hit 15 minutes later.
A few hundred yards west, North American Midway Entertainment, the fair's amusement operator, had already shut down several of the company's tall rides. Under a written emergency action plan the company can – and usually does – close rides in the event of lightning, which they did moments before the winds struck.
Fifteen miles to the northeast, the Indianapolis Symphony's Beatles pops show was playing Conner Prairie Park's outdoor stage for 7,000 concertgoers. It was an 8 p.m. show, but it was cancelled at 8:19 p.m. when a mandatory evacuation was ordered – 30 minutes before the State Fair tragedy. What was the difference between those events?
The Symphony's severe weather policy requires evacuation if a storm with lightning is 10 to 15 miles away. They subscribe to a weather service on portable computers that provides detailed information. With a large audience, they also calculate the time it takes patrons to get to their vehicles. Working backwards, they estimate how soon it will arrive in the 15-mile radius, adding the time needed to get people evacuated.
The Indiana State Fairgrounds' one-page severe thunderstorm evacuation plan had nine bullet points, but it only specifically addresses tents and buildings, with no mention of how, or when, to evacuate the grandstand. It stated that patrons are to be notified by loudspeaker if a severe thunderstorm warning is issued by the NWS – which happened 10 minutes before the rigging fell – but firm evacuation orders weren't given. Their emergency plan did not list any single person to coordinate decisions on evacuations, according to one official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Even more than seasonal venues, state fairs are limited engagements, which usually doesn't allow cancelled shows to be rescheduled. Those who've worked "rain or shine" events understand that the chances of completing a show once a stage roof has been lowered due to inclement conditions are relatively slim, as even operating the roof itself can be dangerous in bad weather. Lowering the roof would have, at a minimum, delayed the show, and its eventual load-out, a further detriment.
I personally worked a Jessica Simpson show on that State Fair stage, mixing monitors from the little white tent that gets crushed in the video. Kerry Darrenkamp's Mid-America Sound has provided services for many of my shows over the years, so I know his attention to detail is second to none. I promise you that it wasn't their fault.
New York City revoked all event permits in advance of Hurricane Irene and ordered the evacuation of 370,000 citizens. All 23 Broadway shows were cancelled that weekend and public transportation halted. Heavy weather was on the way. At some point a higher authority must make the call.
Many of us are wrapping up seasonal venues this month. It would be wise to immediately review severe weather evacuation plans in outdoor venues and not wait until next year to try and remember this lesson. Have a plan and stick to it.
Contributions to IATSE Local 30's Disaster Relief Fund can be sent to: IATSE Local 30, Attn: Nathan Byrd Family, 1407 East Riverside Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46202-2037.
