{
  "id": "2023-09-09-georgia-tech-bobby-dodd-sc-state-lightning-delay",
  "slug": "georgia-tech-bobby-dodd-sc-state-lightning-delay-2023-09-09",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Georgia Institute of Technology",
    "shortName": "Georgia Tech",
    "state": "GA",
    "type": "public-r1",
    "alertSystemName": "GT Emergency Notification",
    "enrollment": 21916
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2023-09-09",
    "type": "severe-storm",
    "cleryCategory": "advisory",
    "headline": "Back-to-back lightning holds delay a football game; fans sheltered in stadium concourses",
    "headlinePublic": "Back-to-back lightning holds delay a football game; fans sheltered in stadium concourses",
    "summary": "Georgia Tech's home opener against South Carolina State on September 9, 2023, was delayed more than two hours after back-to-back lightning holds forced fans at [Bobby Dodd Stadium](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Dodd_Stadium) to take shelter in the concourses before a scheduled 1 PM EDT kickoff. [11Alive reported](https://www.11alive.com/article/sports/shelter-in-place-issued-georgia-tech-game-kickoff-delayed-inclement-weather/85-f3b9a5e8-fd8c-47e3-a55a-cedf556de133) that fans who left the stadium to shelter in their cars were later allowed to re-enter with their tickets; Georgia Tech ultimately defeated South Carolina State 48-13.",
    "outcome": "Georgia Tech defeated South Carolina State 48-13; kickoff finally occurred at approximately 3:23 PM EDT after a 2-hour 23-minute delay.",
    "resolution": "confirmed-threat"
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestamp": null,
      "channel": "twitter-x",
      "verbatimText": "We are currently in a pregame hold due to potential severe weather in the area. New approximate kickoff time for @GeorgiaTechFB vs South Carolina State is 1:22 pm ET. Please stay tune for updates.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://x.com/GTAthletics/status/1700554806144962570",
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    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": null,
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      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
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      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 3,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": null,
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      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceUrl": "https://x.com/GTAthletics/status/1700566016844316826",
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      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 4,
      "type": "update",
      "timestampApprox": "Approximately 1:50 PM EDT on September 9, 2023, moments after teams had taken the field for an attempted 1:42 PM EDT kickoff",
      "channel": "twitter-x",
      "verbatimText": "IMPORTANT UPDATE: Fans inside Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field are asked to please take shelter in the concourses of the stadium.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://x.com/GTAthletics/status/1700566881076404360",
      "sourceDescription": "@GTAthletics on X (verbatim raw t.co)",
      "annotations": [
        "11Alive reported this shelter instruction was tweeted out around 1:50 PM EDT, just moments after teams had taken the field for a 1:42 PM EDT kickoff attempt, the second lightning hold of the afternoon, which reset the mandatory 30-minute clock and extended the total delay to more than two hours.",
        "The message directs fans to the concourses rather than out of the stadium entirely, reflecting Bobby Dodd Stadium's covered-concourse shelter plan for lightning events."
      ],
      "characterCount": 132,
      "confidence": "high",
      "timestamp": null
    },
    {
      "sequence": 5,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": null,
      "channel": "twitter-x",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceUrl": "https://x.com/GTAthletics/status/1700569447801778370",
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      "annotations": [],
      "confidence": "high"
    },
    {
      "sequence": 6,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": null,
      "channel": "twitter-x",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceUrl": "https://x.com/GTAthletics/status/1700575088989598091",
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      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 7,
      "type": "all-clear",
      "timestamp": null,
      "channel": "twitter-x",
      "verbatimText": "UPDATE TO THE UPDATE: Severe weather is no longer a threat to Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Fans may return to their seats. As a reminder, if you left the stadium, you may re-enter with your original game ticket. #StingEm 🐝",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://x.com/GTAthletics/status/1700584266130972832",
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      "annotations": [
        "Exact text from official @GTAthletics status 1700584266130972832"
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      "characterCount": 231
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  ],
  "context": "Georgia Tech's 2023 home opener against South Carolina State was set for a 1 PM EDT kickoff at [Bobby Dodd Stadium in midtown Atlanta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Dodd_Stadium), but a series of Atlanta-area thunderstorm cells repeatedly blocked play. The game experienced two separate lightning holds before kickoff could occur, with [fans instructed to shelter in the concourses](https://www.11alive.com/article/sports/shelter-in-place-issued-georgia-tech-game-kickoff-delayed-inclement-weather/85-f3b9a5e8-fd8c-47e3-a55a-cedf556de133) throughout. After the first delay, teams came onto the field at approximately 1:42 PM EDT for warm-ups but lightning was detected again, sending everyone back indoors and resetting the 30-minute clock. Georgia Tech explicitly communicated that [fans who left to wait in their cars would be re-admitted with their tickets](https://www.11alive.com/article/sports/local-sports/rain-delay-georgia-tech-game-vs-sc-state/85-542428c1-1a48-48ac-870c-fd71798a624c), a fan-friendly policy that acknowledged the extended and uncertain timeline. The game ultimately began at 3:23 PM EDT, [more than two hours and twenty minutes late](https://fansided.com/posts/georgia-tech-weather-delay-update-when-will-game-vs-south-carolina-state-start). Georgia Tech won 48-13.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "Two separate lightning holds before kickoff pushed the game's start more than two hours past the scheduled 1 PM EDT time",
    "Georgia Tech allowed fans who sheltered in their cars to re-enter with their tickets, a documented fan-policy decision made during the extended delay",
    "Bobby Dodd Stadium concourses served as the primary in-stadium shelter; teams returned to locker rooms for both delays",
    "The back-to-back delay pattern reflects the multi-cell nature of major Atlanta metro summer thunderstorm systems"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Georgia Tech game delayed due to inclement weather, fans asked to shelter - 11Alive",
      "url": "https://www.11alive.com/article/sports/shelter-in-place-issued-georgia-tech-game-kickoff-delayed-inclement-weather/85-f3b9a5e8-fd8c-47e3-a55a-cedf556de133",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Rain delay for Georgia Tech game vs SC State lifted - 11Alive",
      "url": "https://www.11alive.com/article/sports/local-sports/rain-delay-georgia-tech-game-vs-sc-state/85-542428c1-1a48-48ac-870c-fd71798a624c",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Georgia Tech weather delay update: When will game vs. South Carolina State restart? - FanSided",
      "url": "https://fansided.com/posts/georgia-tech-weather-delay-update-when-will-game-vs-south-carolina-state-start",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "South Carolina State Bulldogs vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets - Final Score - September 9, 2023 - CBS Sports",
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/gametracker/recap/NCAAF_20230909_SCST@GATECH/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Georgia Tech fans allowed back inside after weather postpones game in downtown Atlanta - WSB-TV Channel 2 Atlanta",
      "url": "https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/clarke-county/georgia-tech-fans-ordered-take-shelter-weather-postpones-football-game/FMO4PPRIIRA57LGYK65PGNFQ7A/",
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  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "severe-storm",
    "lightning",
    "weather-delay",
    "stadium",
    "georgia-tech",
    "bobby-dodd-stadium",
    "game-day",
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