The roof was fluttering, gigantic girders were swaying, and debris was flying over the heads of 25,000-plus fans at the Georgia Dome Friday evening, sending fans in the upper decks scampering from their seats. The incident occurred in a game between Alabama and Mississippi State, with 2:53 remaining on the clock in overtime.
Apparently a tornado struck the immediate vicinity of the Georgia Dome. Problem was, nobody informed the crowd until after the tornado had moved on.
The Southeastern Conference broadcasting crew, headed by Tim Brando, went to great lengths to say security had done a “great job” of keeping things under control. The crew also claimed the Dome was the safest place to be, even with the roof shaking, giant girders swaying back and forth and bits of metal falling from the ceiling?
What Brando didn’t say was that Georgia Dome officials were either unaware of tornadic conditions or they totally ignored the warnings, putting fans in possibly severe jeopardy. If weather officials had issued a tornado warning, fans should have been informed and given an opportunity to seek safety. Telling them after the fact, as the PA announcer kept doing was a little late.