New 'Thor Guards' Give Weather Protection At Forsyth Parks

CUMMING, GA — A new high-tech system installed at Forsyth County parks is designed to help keep visitors safe from lightning and other severe weather.

The Forsyth County Parks & Recreation Department recently installed the Thor Guard Weather Warning System at county parks. The system's sensors continuously monitor the atmosphere as far as 15 miles away and it evaluates the potential for lightning within about a two-mile radius.

The goal of using the system, parks officials say, is to maximize safety by providing staff and volunteers with critical, timely warnings about impending weather conditions. It is now installed at all of the department's athletic facilities and at Sawnee Mountain Preserve.

When the system detects a hazardous condition, a siren is activated and a strobe light provides a visual alert for 15 seconds. When the threat of lightning is over, three five-second blasts are emitted by the siren to indicate that the area is safe.

The system will alert park-goers and staff to lightning threats between the hours of 8 a.m.-9 p.m.

Like the Cumming Patch on Facebook to get more stories like this in your News Feed.

"Making advancements to help ensure the safety of those using our facilities is extremely important to us," said Parks & Recreation director Jim Pryor. "Residents who live near one of these parks may be able to hear the system alerts. This system is not intended to be a nuisance, but rather a safety device for our citizens and all of our park users."

Prior to recent installations, the system was already in place at Joint Venture Park at Daves Creek, Lanierland Park, Matt Community Park at Settingdown Creek and Sharon Springs Park. It has since been added at Bennett Park, Central Park, Coal Mountain Park, Fowler Park, Midway Park, Sawnee Mountain Park and Sawnee Mountain Preserve.

The installation of the Thor Guard system was funded by funds from Forsyth County's 2017 budget.

Photo courtesy Forsyth County Parks & Recreation