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Fans at St Louis versus Cincinnati soccer game bunker down in stadium shelters as tornado closes

Many of the people posted photos and videos of the adverse weather conditions on social media

ST LOUIS, MISSOURI: On Saturday, April 15, people attending the St Louis versus Cincinnati MLS game in CityPark were rushed to tornado shelters as the weather conditions took a turn for the worse. The weather also delayed the match by more than two hours. Officials urged people to head to shelters inside the stadium shortly after 7.30 pm after a tornado was observed moving towards St Louis.

More than two hours later, fans were still stuck inside the shelters waiting for the storm to pass, the Daily Mail reported. Around 8.46 pm local time, officials finally announced that the game would begin after an hour, at nearly 10.00 pm. Former USA soccer star Marcelo Balboa, a defender with 127 caps for the national team and a current analyst for MLS Season Pass, was among those taking shelter in the stadium's basement. He said that he was in a “bunker” and shared a clip of the tornado passing by from near the match location.

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A journalist from the St Louis Post-Dispatch, who was working at the stadium ahead of the match, also shared a photo of the weather on Twitter amid the tornado warning. He added another image showing fans inside the concourse, waiting for further updates and information from authorities. “A tornado warning has been issued at CityPark ahead of St. Louis SC’s game against FC Cincinnati. Fans have been instructed to seek shelter immediately,” he wrote. 

'StormReady facility'

In the wake of the warning, the St Louis SC MLS stadium issued a statement on their site, asking fans in attendance, to go to the marked “storm shelters” inside CityPark. The statement mentioned that the stadium was a “StormReady facility as designated by the National Weather Service,” adding that a “site-specific meteorologist” was also on call to “track severe weather including high winds and lightning strikes.”

While people were safely sheltered, locals posted clips of the storm passing through the city and “pea-sized hail” on social media. There were several reports of wind damage near the area, with winds up to 67mph recorded at the St Louis International Airport, Fox Weather reported.

‘Be safe’

Social media users reacted to the weather condition in St Louis. “The green tint of the sky is not a good sign,” one user wrote on Twitter. “Oh no be safe,” another commented. “Stay safe,” another added. “I was a little exhilarated LOL,” a local wrote after sharing a clip of the hailstorm. Another mentioned, “That's a vicious storm.”

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.