At the Mahaska County YMCA swimming is serious fun, but so is safety. That’s why we would like to remind you of our indoor pool severe weather policy.
The indoor pool will remain open at the discretion of the management staff during thunderstorms. We reserve the right to close the pool if severe weather is in the direct vicinity and poses a significant threat. Indoor pools will close immediately when a tornado warning has been issued in the area. All members and staff will receive instruction for the safest location inside the facility while the area is under a tornado warning. Once the warning has been lifted, all swimming pools will re-open.
The YMCA of the USA and the National Lightning and Safety Institute recommend that indoor pools should be cleared during a lightning and thunderstorm. We follow the 30-minute rule. This means that all YMCA pools (indoor and outdoor) close for 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder and/or strike of lightning within a 2 mile radius or the area.
“A lot of members want to know why we close our indoor pools during a storm,” says George Allen, YMCA of the Triangle Vice President of Risk Management. “Water is an excellent conductor of electricity. Just because a pool is surrounded by a structure does not make it safe during a storm.”
LIGHTNING FACTS
- Lightning kills more people in the U.S. than hurricanes and tornados combined.
- The average storm is 6-10 miles wide and moves at 25 MPH.
- 13 percent of all lightning incidents involve swimming, boating, and fishing.
- Thunder is usually heard up to 12 miles from a lightning strike. In other words, if you can hear thunder, you’re in danger of lightning.
- Lightning strikes can reach up to 10 miles.
That’s why we follow the National Weather Service motto: When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors.