| Crazy Weather at DelFest 2009 [message #439526] |
Sat, 30 May 2009 09:37  |
 |
 John Huntington
Messages: 47
Registered: January 2006
Location: Brooklyn |
Should Get Out More |
|
|
I didn't see that anyone posted this, and I just saw this on the Weather Channel today, did some digging and compiled a bunch of photos and videos on my blog here: http://www.controlgeek.net/blog/2009/5/30/delfest-stage-blas ted-by-severe-thunderstorm.html
There's a crazy youtube video from one of the stages during the storm.
[Updated on: Sat, 30 May 2009 09:38]
www.controlgeek.net
|
|
|
|
| Re: Crazy Weather at DelFest 2009 [message #439650 is a reply to message #439526 ] |
Sat, 30 May 2009 21:56  |
jason misterka
Messages: 153
Registered: April 2004
Location: Virginia |
Has No Life |
|
|
Yup, I was there on the mainstage... the youtube video was taken from the campground stage.
The hail seemed like it went on for an hour straight. Certainly one of the scariest storms I've ever been through, and I've been through plenty.
All the tents on stage platforms blew off, including monitor beach. Somehow all of our audio equipment survived, just got a little water in our Venice on 3rd stage and in the face of an amp rack. Otherwise we got very lucky, this thing came out of the blue (literally).
Our crew, along with the Sam Bush, Old Crow MS, Great American Taxi crews, and the Morgantown WVU union folks, did a great job dealing with it, and I have to thank all the tapers who helped us hold down the FOH tent during the worst of it.
I'm curious what they said on the weather channel. I heard rumors that several f4 tornadoes touched down nearby, but never confirmed it.
Jason
|
|
|
| Re: Crazy Weather at DelFest 2009 [message #439730 is a reply to message #439650 ] |
Sun, 31 May 2009 10:33 |
Jay Barracato
Messages: 1112
Registered: April 2009
Location: Solomons MD |
Has No Life |
|
|
hey Jason,
I am glad everyone came through ok and it was amazing that everything was up and running later that night. Some of the vendors took a termendous hit on their inventories.
Overall the sound for the show was amazing. I still think that the center fills you had at the stage for the VIP section sounded better than any others I have heard recently. I was impressed with the QSC wideline rig, and the turbosounds in the small hall also sounded good.
I did not see any evidence of tornado, but we did have a classic gust front wind, which can be just as hard and just as damaging. From where I was in the campground when it hit, it looked like a gust front came through, bounced off of the mountainside and then hit us again.
Jay
Jay Barracato
Solomons MD
|
|
|
| Re: Crazy Weather at DelFest 2009 [message #439822 is a reply to message #439730 ] |
Sun, 31 May 2009 18:14 |
Joe Brugnoni
Messages: 1497
Registered: November 2008
Location: Kansas City |
Has No Life |
|
|
I am from the Midwest and we deal with that crap a lot. When I watched and listened to the video, I was wondering if a tornado was near by as it sounds a lot like a train on the video. It could be the wind but the storm seems to continue but the sound goes away!
I am sure glad everyone is ok. We just had a guy get killed in the area by lightning. He was riding to benefit a kids cause and lightning hit his cycle while he was moving 
Be nice to everyone as you can learn something from anybody
|
|
|
| Re: Crazy Weather at DelFest 2009 [message #439835 is a reply to message #439822 ] |
Sun, 31 May 2009 19:35 |
Jay Barracato
Messages: 1112
Registered: April 2009
Location: Solomons MD |
Has No Life |
|
|
Joe,
One of CSX's most active set of rail tracks in Maryland is about 500 feet from the stage site. Good chance it was actually a train,
Jay Barracato
Solomons MD
|
|
|
| Re: Crazy Weather at DelFest 2009 [message #439836 is a reply to message #439835 ] |
Sun, 31 May 2009 19:52 |
Tim McCulloch
Messages: 8281
Registered: April 2004
Location: Wichita KS USA |
Has No Life |
|
|
| Jay Barracato wrote on Sun, 31 May 2009 19:35 |
Joe,
One of CSX's most active set of rail tracks in Maryland is about 500 feet from the stage site. Good chance it was actually a train,
|
An acoustic music festival site we provide for has train tracks very close by as well. One of the regualr performers composed a few "Songs in the Keys of Train" for those occurrences.
I'm about 170 miles SSE of Joe B., and this whole part of the country gets weather like that storm in MD. Sometime a little popcorn storm turns into a roiling cauldron of lightning, hail, and straight-line winds... and then tornadoes. And sometimes it just rains for 15-30 minutes and goes away to leave a swampy mugginess that requires a "personal squeegee." The speed at which these storms can develop is amazing.
Thanks, John, for posting about this. It's the reminder I needed to check our lightning detectors and weather emergency radios.
Have fun, good luck.
Tim Mc
"Will you stand by me against the cold night, or are you afraid of the ice?" Crack The Sky
|
|
|
|
| Re: Crazy Weather at DelFest 2009 [message #440020 is a reply to message #439650 ] |
Mon, 01 June 2009 14:08 |
|
Hi Jason,
I'm glad to hear that everyone and the gear survived relatively unharmed. I had some friends at the event and they said the sound was great! Maybe I'll catch up with you down there next year.
Jeff
Cobra Sound
An authorized Allen&Heath, Ashly Audio, Audio-Technica, Audix, Da-Lite, Danley Sound Labs, FBT, Mackie, QSC Audio, RCF, Sabine, Sennheiser, Whirlwind, and Yorkville Sound dealer.
|
|
|
|
| Re: Crazy Weather at DelFest 2009 [message #440222 is a reply to message #440187 ] |
Tue, 02 June 2009 08:06 |
Joe Brugnoni
Messages: 1497
Registered: November 2008
Location: Kansas City |
Has No Life |
|
|
I dont think we where saying they where worse, I think we thought that they may have been very close to a tornado or we can tell they caught hell from Straight line winds.THey had some hail. Both of those things tend to be near or involved with tornado's. Either way, great news that the repairable things got broke and the irreplaceble items, people, are all ok.
That being said, play close attention to something Tim said and I had not considered. Lightning kills or injures more people a year than any other storm item. I dont think lighting detectors cost much but I think one is in my future and at the very least a weather radio.
When I was young Kid (army brat) I was at Lake Garda in Italy and observed a storm that did much the same and had the same noise. It was a tornado, we never got sight of it but we heard that train sound. Lots of stuff destroyed just like delfest.
Be nice to everyone as you can learn something from anybody
|
|
|
| Re: Crazy Weather at DelFest 2009 [message #440755 is a reply to message #439526 ] |
Wed, 03 June 2009 17:13 |
|
I've been there. I've seen whole 20'x30' tents lifted off the ground, water barrels and all. It's pretty awesome and terrifying..
David Strebe
Capitol Media Systems
|
|
|
|
| Re: Crazy Weather at DelFest 2009 [message #440885 is a reply to message #440879 ] |
Thu, 04 June 2009 07:47 |
Joe Brugnoni
Messages: 1497
Registered: November 2008
Location: Kansas City |
Has No Life |
|
|
Hell yes you leave!! That person wont care if your dead!!! Lighting kills more people every year than most storms combined.
Now your sitting in water near a metal pole stuck in the air that is connected to the ground. Yes leave and get in something with wheels on it, It dosnt garrentee that you wong get struck but it will help insulate you.
FYI, they say you will feel a tingle before a lighting strike and it is recommended that you drop down curl up but stay on your feet, on the balls of you feet if possible. I am not sure why but working outside for years, that is what we where taught,
OH and by the way. If you can hear the thunder, you are within striking distance.
[Updated on: Thu, 04 June 2009 07:48]
Be nice to everyone as you can learn something from anybody
|
|
|
| Re: Crazy Weather at DelFest 2009 [message #440962 is a reply to message #440879 ] |
Thu, 04 June 2009 11:47 |
Doug Hammel
Messages: 162
Registered: September 2004
Location: Central Florida |
Has No Life |
|
|
I know I have taken a lot of heat for this but at a certain point regardless of what the artist, client or even the owner says the systems engineer/crew chief can and should override everyone. At that point it becomes a safety/liability issue. Discussion over shut down and cover up.
Doug Hammel
Audio Systems Engineer
954 598 4202
dougcvaudio@juno.com
|
|
|
| Re: Crazy Weather at DelFest 2009 [message #441026 is a reply to message #440885 ] |
Thu, 04 June 2009 14:26 |
Scott Raymond
Messages: 1628
Registered: April 2004 |
Has No Life |
|
|
| Joe Brugnoni wrote on Thu, 04 June 2009 07:47 |
FYI, they say you will feel a tingle before a lighting strike and it is recommended that you drop down curl up but stay on your feet, on the balls of you feet if possible. I am not sure why but working outside for years, that is what we where taught,
|
I can vouch for that bit of information though it was more the feeling of the electrial charge building up. The hair standing on end feeling.
The reason for squatting is because of the large electrical charge that can be traveling on the surface of the ground from a nearby strike. That much energy cannot dissipate in one spot when it hits and will spread out from the strike. Laying down on the ground will create more of a path for the charge to travel through you even if you aren't hit directly. The smallest ground contact you can make the better.
|
|
|
Forum Home
Login
Forum Search
Register
FAQ
