In the event of inclement weather around campus, sirens can be heard blaring from the Morris Recreation Center (MRC). Known as Thor-Guard, the alert system is difficult to ignore, although often misunderstood.
Some students and faculty are unaware of what exactly Thor-Guard is and what the sirens mean when they go off. A lifeguard at the MRC, Kyle Weaver, said he is prepared to act when the alarms sound, because Thor-Guard directly pertains to his job.
“A long burst means there’s lightning in the area, and we shut the [pool] area down for 30 minutes as long as the siren doesn’t go off again,” he said. “If it does, then we wait an additional 30 minutes for every time it goes off.”
Thor-Guard was installed at the MRC when it was opened in 2003. It is a lightning prediction system, which informs the university when it is unsafe to be outdoors due to risky lightning conditions.
“The Thor-Guard can predict lightning up to 40 miles,” senior MRC lifeguard Tyler Tyndell said.
Thor-Guard predicts when lightning is about to strike, even if the storm is approaching without any lightning. This system can also predict leftover strikes. If a storm has not contained any lightning for 20 minutes or for 20 miles, Thor-Guard can warn if lightning is still capable of striking.
The Thor-Guard will never “blast” a false alert, because as a lightning prediction system, it has the ability to tell when a storm is safely passing by.
The Thor-Guard also gives an all-clear signal.
“Three loud bursts mean the Thor-Guard is clear and it is safe to go back outside,” Weaver said.
For more information on Thor-Guard and how it works, contact Assistant Director of Aquatics Tyson Kehler at 903-468-3173.