Weather warning device talks to coaches, staff in real time
Last week’s Newcastle football game against Southeast was cut short because of lightning in the area.
You might wonder how the school knew when to stop and then start back the game, and keep fans and players safe and informed.
City Councilman and football field namesake Gene Reid told the Newcastle Pacer that the school system has a new weather warning device.
Newcastle Public Schools now has a Perry Weather System which not only monitors the weather, but also detects lightning, records weather events, and then alerts school officials and the public.
For storm events, the system has a timer which resets with each subsequent lightning strike, initiating a countdown until an all clear. When it’s time, a signal sounds and app notifications go out that it’s safe to resume outdoor activities.
Athletic Director Brent Hodges said the Perry Weather System is a good addition for safety, and it’s not just for athletics, but for the entire school district.
Hodges said he and athletic trainer Dalayna Newberry had come to Newcastle after working at Moore Public Schools. There, they had been introduced to the Perry Weather System and they felt like Newcastle needed one, as well.
The system detects, records and alerts for weather including when there is substantial heat which could impact school activities.
The system is solar charged and works off of cellular networks. It includes a strobe light, audible blasts, and text-to-speech. Working in tandem with an app, which is downloadable by coaches and school staff, the Perry Weather System is automated and provides real-time notifications based on what the local staff configures into the system.
Hodges said, “It is located on top of our football field house. For the middle school, the coaches’ phones go off to tell directions of storms and lightning.”
WEATHER SYSTEM: Can warn of weather at off-campus locations in state
Hodges said the local system can ping off of other Perry Weather Systems within the state, and if there are Newcastle students on a field trip, the system can warn the teachers of weather in their area.
Hodges said if he is away from the campus, he gets the alerts and can view Newcastle weather through a camera that is accessible on his phone app.
The system shows the doppler radar around Newcastle, and, if necessary, school officials can talk with the National Weather Service.
The system reads air temperature, clouds, wind speed, temperature of the wind, humidity outside, and provides what the real temperature is outside.
This is particularly handy during the hot days of summer and spring when Oklahoma’s heat moves in and one or more of the athletic teams is trying to practice.
“This helps keep our kids safe,” Hodges said.
The system not only provides real-time information, but also shows risk levels for the day based on the local school system’s activities and operations.
It provides information about possible upcoming weather disruptions such as high chances of lightning delays and times they might occur, and high temperatures and what times they can be expected.
Hodges said one of the coolest features, which was recently used, came to light on the night the tornado took the roof off of Newcastle Elementary School’s gymnasium.
Hodges said the school system pulled information from the Perry Weather System and sent it to the National Weather Service.
