When inclement weather is imminent and pools are operating our staff monitors incoming threatening storms very closely. Evacuation occurs when audible thunder or visible lightning is observed or when lightning gets eight to five miles distant. The wait is 30 minutes after the last observed thunder or lightning before resuming swimming pool activities.
There is another type of temporary pool closure tied to inclement weather which is when heavy rain makes it impossible to clearly see the pool bottom. This kind of temporary closure comes and goes a lot quicker than thunder and lightning protocol because once the rain subsides and the pool bottom is visible again the pool will open back up.
Sometimes constantly exiting and reentering the pool can seem monotonous and pointless especially when a storm is not “on top” of the pool. The reason for the pool evacuations is because lightning is unpredictable and when it is in the area it can travel large distances to meet conductors such as large bodies of water like pools. Also, if the bottom of the pool is not visible this interferes with our guards being unable to keep their 10/20 standard making the pool unsafe. At Jeff Ellis Management guest safety is our number one priority and that is why we have such a strict inclement weather procedures.