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2009: Storm collapses roof of Dallas Cowboys' practice facility

2009: Storm collapses roof of Dallas Cowboys' practice facility

Author: AccuWeather May 2, 2022 Duration: 2:24
This Date in Weather History
History
Twelve people were hospitalized Saturday May 2, 2009 after the roof of the Dallas Cowboys' indoor practice facility in Frisco, Texas collapsed during a thunderstorm. The giant blue Cowboys star atop the building lay crumpled on the ground. The storm knocked out power at team headquarters and splintered trees across the property. The roof was a large air- and tension-supported canopy with aluminum frames covering a regulation 100-yard football field. Approximately 70 players, coaches, staff and media were reported inside. Some of the injuries were serious, but none were considered life-threatening. Based on the national standards for determining loads and for designing structural steel buildings, the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology researchers studying the Cowboys facility found that the May 2 wind load demands on the building's framework—a series of identical, rib-like steel frames supporting a tensioned fabric covering—were greater than the capacity of the frame to resist those loads. The researchers determined that, at the time of collapse, the wind was blowing predominantly from west to east, perpendicular to the long side of the building. Maximum wind speed gusts at the time of collapse were estimated to be in the range of 55 to 65 miles per hour—well below the design wind speed of 90 miles per hour in the national standard for wind loads. The NIST report recommended building owners, operators and designers inspect all fabric-covered, steel-frame structures, evaluating them to ensure they are designed to handle appropriate wind loads.

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Every day has a story written in the wind and rain, and This Date in Weather History uncovers those narratives. With AccuWeather Meteorologist Evan Myers as your guide, this daily podcast connects the present to pivotal moments where weather dramatically altered the course of events. You might hear about a forgotten blizzard that stranded a city, a hurricane that redirected a war, or a simple shift in the breeze that allowed a historic discovery. It’s more than just a list of facts; it’s a look at how the atmosphere has been a relentless and fascinating character in the human drama. Each brief episode offers a specific, grounded tale, revealing how the climate has shaped cultures, economies, and personal lives in ways we often overlook. Tune in for a thoughtful blend of meteorology and historical context, delivered with the authority of AccuWeather. This podcast turns the calendar into a map of atmospheric intrigue, reminding us that the past is always present in the sky above.
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This Date in Weather History
Podcast Episodes
1986: Severe and destructive storm strikes Texas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:26
Another Spring Day and another round of wild weather in the state of Texas. Severe weather is most prevalent in Texas in the Spring and May 24, 1986 was no different, severe thunderstorms blasted the area. Damage was hea…
1908: Record flooding impacts north and central Texas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16
By May 23, 1908 4-8" of rain fallen across much of northern and central Texas in the preceding days on already saturated land especially on the upper Trinity and Brazos River Basins. The rise in the rivers continued for…
1933: 600-yd wide tornado destroys town of Liberal, KS [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:40
The Dust Bowl was one of the greatest natural disasters to ever befall the United States, it devastated the Great Plains states in the 1930s. It is considered the worst drought to impact North America in 1,000 years. Uns…
The May 1957 Tornado Outbreak [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:16
The May 1957 tornado outbreak took place across the US Central Plains from May 19 to May 21, 1957. An F5 tornado, the strongest on the tornado intensity scale, on May 21 was the most significant in the outbreak and is kn…
2007: Temperature reaches 115°F in Sibi, Pakistan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:32
Extreme heat can be rather uncomfortable. But what actually happens to the human body as the mercury rises? On humid days, when the air is already saturated with water, sweat evaporates more slowly. This explains why it…
1894: Severe storms and wind sinks 9 ships on Lake Michigan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:35
Ever since people have traveled the Great Lakes, storms have sunk ships and taken lives. In fact, the very first recorded sailing vessel on the upper lakes, was lost in 1679. Since that time, massive and historical storm…
1814: Logs in swollen Maine rivers cause destruction [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:24
The state of Maine is known for many things, including my favorite, Maine lobsters. But one of the longest running industries in North America, dating back until the early 1600s is logging. The British Royal Navy quickly…
1874: The Mill River Flood [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:43
In 1865, a group of mill owners from the Northampton area of Massachusetts constructed a dam on the Mill River north of the town of Williamsburg, it was constructed by using a design drawn by one of the owners, a man wit…
1968: Five tornadoes strike Iowa [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:50
During the late afternoon and early evening of May 15, 1968, five tornadoes, two F1s, one F2, and two F5s occurred in Iowa. These tornadoes were part of the May 15-16, 1968 outbreak with a total of 39 tornadoes which aff…

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