Breaking News: Sugarland concert stage collapse

[Brent]

Looks really bad...

https://www.facebook.com/video/video.ph ... 3&comments




0850 PM TSTM WND DMG INDIANA STATE FAIRGROUN 39.83N 86.13W
08/13/2011 MARION IN NWS EMPLOYEE

*** 4 FATAL *** STAGE COLLAPSE DURING CONCERT...MULTIPLE
INJURIES...CORONER ON SCENE...WINDS ESTIMATED BETWEEN 60
AND 70 MPH.

[lurkey]

http://www.nashvillegab.com/2011/08/bet ... lapse.html

another video of the collapse..

Pictures

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll ... 801&Ref=PH

[ravyrn]

Are there no regulations or procedures involving performance stages when storms are closing in? This is a tragic loss of life and it could have been completely avoided. That's the 2nd stage for a music venue to have collapsed in the last month. One collapsed July 17th @ the Ottawa Bluefest.

My buddy is a Touring Monitor Engineer for the Oak Ridge Boys and contracts out to other artist and bands, so any time something of this nature happens he generally knows the people involved firsthand and comments about it on facebook. He linked some photos taken by a photographer, that are taken before, during, and after the collapse.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the four people who lost their lives. I hope the industry/government can learn from this and enact some policy/regulations for when storms are approaching to avoid tragic events such as this in the future.

[LSU2001]

Was the weather cause just by normal thunderstorms or was there something like a Derecho(sp) going on. I guess my questions relates to whether this could have been prevented if the storms were expected to produce strong straight line winds.
Tim

[northjaxpro]

My prayers to the families of those who lost their lives tragically and to the seriously injured.

What a tragedy. It was a classic gust front just ahead of the main squall line of thunderstorms that caused the stage to collapse. Winds were estimated at around 70 mph when it happened.

[CajunMama]

Wow ravyrn, those were some unbelievable pictures.

[lester]

prayers for all affected.

[vbhoutex]

Was the weather cause just by normal thunderstorms or was there something like a Derecho(sp) going on. I guess my questions relates to whether this could have been prevented if the storms were expected to produce strong straight line winds.
Tim

It was a gust front out in front of the squall line. It was quite visible on radar. I don't know for sure if the thunderstorms were/went severe, but the collapse was caused by the gust front. I have also read on FB that they were beginning to evacuate the area when the collapse occurred. I haven't seen corroboration of this though.
Sending up prayers for all those impacted by this tragedy.

[LSU2001]

Thanks for the answers guys. I guess the gust front was short lived but very strong. We just had one come through here in advance of a t-storm and we had winds of about 45 mph so I do understand the power of the gust front.
Tim

[Category 5]

There was plenty of warning and a delayed reaction to evacuating people I heard, I smell lawyers.

Well, I smell lawyers anyway, this is America after all.

[StormingB81]

There was plenty of warning and a delayed reaction to evacuating people I heard, I smell lawyers.

Well, I smell lawyers anyway, this is America after all.

Thatis the sad case..when in fact there should have been common sense to see the weather in the distance and a little birdy saying hmm maybe I should go to some shelter..but thats just me!

[CajunMama]

And the fact that i bet almost every concert goer had a smartphone and could check the radar themselves.

[Category 5]

And the fact that i bet almost every concert goer had a smartphone and could check the radar themselves.

ding ding ding.Thank you for pointing that out, I'm sure that'll be left out of any negligence suit though.

Idk about anyone else here, but when I'm out for a long period, if I know of or suspect bad weather, I immediately check to see if its all clear or if I need to alter my plans.

[brunota2003]

Was the weather cause just by normal thunderstorms or was there something like a Derecho(sp) going on. I guess my questions relates to whether this could have been prevented if the storms were expected to produce strong straight line winds.
Tim

It was a gust front out in front of the squall line. It was quite visible on radar. I don't know for sure if the thunderstorms were/went severe, but the collapse was caused by the gust front. I have also read on FB that they were beginning to evacuate the area when the collapse occurred. I haven't seen corroboration of this though.
Sending up prayers for all those impacted by this tragedy.

Looking at the videos, people were filtering away from the stadium just before the collapse. There could have been many deaths if it happened just a minute sooner, or no deaths if it happened a minute later.