These NFL stadiums will soon serve as emergency shelters during disasters

CNN
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In addition to hosting thousands of football fans, NFL stadiums will also serve as emergency centers during weather disasters.

As part of a new partnership between the NFL and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, four stadiums have been selected so far to open their doors during hurricanes, tornadoes and floods and transform into emergency shelters, staging areas, emergency hospitals and distribution centers.

The first stadiums under the deal are MetLife (New York Jets and New York Giants); Lumen Field (Seattle Seahawks); Acrisure Stadium (Pittsburgh Steelers); and Raymond James Stadium (Tampa Bay Buccaneers).

Another stadium – SoFi Stadium, which hosts the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers – is currently being evaluated for inclusion.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell called the plan a “game-changing opportunity” that other stadiums could follow.

“As we embark on the NFL, all venues of all sports organizations and leagues can become assets to their communities, and I encourage them to join in this collective effort as we grapple with the impacts of the climate crisis,” Criswell said in an explanation.

Football stadiums have always served as unofficial emergency points. Most notably, the Superdome in New Orleans was used as an emergency shelter during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, although conditions there rapidly deteriorated when the stadium lost power and supplies ran low. Several stadiums also served as hubs for the Covid-19 response at the height of the pandemic.

The NFL and FEMA together recognized the value – with comprehensive planning and coordination – of America’s vast sports infrastructure in times of emergency; The NFL initially approached the federal government with the idea of ​​opening its stadiums during extreme weather and other disasters.

“Stadiums are valuable common assets that are frequently used in times of disaster,” NFL Chief Security Officer Cathy Lanier said in a statement. “This designation reflects the role that many stadiums play, not only on Sundays, but particularly in times of need.”

To be officially designated as an emergency site by the federal government, stadiums must be centrally located, close to major highways and health services such as hospitals, accessible to people with disabilities and able to quickly provide food, water and medical care.