PLANT CITY, Fla. — A new weather alert system is now watching over athletic fields in Plant City, giving players, coaches, and families an extra layer of protection when dangerous weather moves in.
Plant City's Parks and Recreation Department recently installed Perry Weather systems at its athletic facilities. The technology is designed to detect lightning and monitor weather conditions, alerting people when it is time to leave the field and seek shelter.
When lightning is detected nearby, the system sounds an audible alarm, giving everyone time to move to safety before the storm arrives.
WATCH: Plant City adds weather alert system to athletic fields
For many families, the added warnings bring peace of mind.
Arianna Parchment was working out at Ellis Methvin Park when she told Tampa Bay 28 she is excited about the new system.
“Florida storms are really unpredictable,” Parchment said.
She thinks it is especially valuable for young adults, like her son, who spend hours outside during the summer.
“He’s played flag football tons of times in this park on the field and we've always had to shut games down and reschedule for another time because of the rain,” said Parchment.
City officials said the system can detect lightning up to eight miles away while also monitoring heat conditions and other important weather data.
Julie Garretson, Plant City’s Parks and Recreation Director, said the technology removes the guesswork in deciding when to clear athletic fields, helping staff make faster, more consistent decisions to protect players, coaches, and parents.
Garretson said, “It definitely makes a nice streamlined process for us across all of our complexes.”
Garretson added that the system also tracks wind speeds, rainfall, and other weather conditions in real time. The information can also support emergency management officials during severe weather events.
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