By Susan Simpson, Cultural and Human Services Director
The safety and well being of our residents and visitors is one of the main priorities of the City of Sunny Isles Beach. We continually strive to be pro-active and not re-active to safety concerns. In May 2010 the City is installing lightning prediction systems at Pelican Community Park, Town Center Park, Senator Gwen Margolis Park and Samson Oceanfront Park.
A lightning prediction system detects atmospheric conditions likely to produce lightning strikes in a certain area and sounds an auditory alert, warning those nearby that lightning is imminent and giving them the chance to find safety before the storm actually impacts the area. These systems predict the probability of a lightning hazard in an area up to 25 square miles. More importantly, it also provides a specific reading and notification of the risk in our immediate area.
The new systems, THOR GUARD, use a highly sophisticated sensor and computer to measure and analyze the electrostatic field in the atmosphere. Lightning originates within this field, thus allowing THOR GUARD to make calculations predicting its occurrence, even though there may be no visible evidence of lightning. THOR GUARD can also project the potential for deadly "bolts out of the blue," which are strikes that seem to come from nowhere and cause a high percentage of lightning fatalities.
The new lightning prediction systems will sound similar to a siren alerting park patrons that there is lightning activity in the surrounding area. Once the siren sounds off the parks will be closed. The siren will stop but a flashing strobe will continue to flash to advise patrons that the threat continues. When the sirens sound again with three short bursts it notifies visitors that the threat has passed and it is safe to return back to the parks.
Look for future notices regarding information on this program on our website www.sibfl.net or on sibtv, channel 77 or to speak to someone directly, call the Cultural and Human Services Department at 305.792.1706.
