WEST COLUMBIA, SC – Lexington School District Two has installed new on-site weather monitoring systems at its two high schools to track and alert to lightning and other potential weather hazards, providing an added level of safety for staff, coaches, athletes, and attendees during outdoor practices, games, and related activities.
The Perry Weather systems recently installed at Airport and Brookland-Cayce High Schools will track lightning and send alerts to appropriate staff within a 10-mile radius of the schools. Once detected, within that 10-mile radius of the outdoor event facility or field, a loud horn alert also is activated — audible not only at the school but in the immediate surrounding areas of the campus. Play or practice will then be suspended, and those at the venue will be instructed to exit to a safe place until the Perry Weather system gives an all-clear, generally 30 minutes after the last detected lightning strike. The system allows for custom alerts for other weather hazards as well, such as air quality, wind speed, and precipitation.
The system will allow Lexington Two administrators to share weather information and alerts with other district schools for issues that could have impacts during the instructional day.
The horn alert will be active weekdays during school hours, as well as after school and on weekends. Barring anything unexpected, horn alerts will be turned off by no later than 10:30 p.m. or 11:00 p.m. and stay off through the overnight hours.
District officials say the new system’s ability to track weather hazards at a hyper-local level will ensure a safer outdoor environment for students, athletes, staff, and fans.