
To enhance public safety, Atlantic Beach has upgraded its Thor Guard Lightning Prediction System. According to a statement provided to SFist, the existing systems at 6th and 15th Street beach accesses have been expanded with additional units at Ahern Street beach access and Russell Park. These systems are designed to detect electrostatic energy levels in the atmosphere and provide early warnings of potential lightning strikes, with a lead time of 8 to 20 minutes within a 2-mile radius. The systems operate daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
What distinguishes Thor Guard from traditional lightning detection methods is its proactive approach; it doesn't wait for lightning to strike, instead, it continually monitors the environment for changes that typically precede lightning, enabling warnings to be issued before the fact, as detailed on the city's website. A 15-second uninterrupted horn blast will signal potential danger paired with a white strobe light that remains active for the duration of the threat residents should remain alert for these signals and pay heed to the skies even when the warning has not gone off.
The system's warning protocol is clear: a horn followed by a strobe light signals the need to seek immediate shelter, either indoors or in a vehicle. These guidelines apply to anyone within earshot or sight of the alarm. The all-clear signal, consisting of three shorter blasts of five seconds each, will sound when the threat is considered to have passed. This will coincide with the deactivation of the strobe light, signaling that it is safe to return to normal activities. It is important to remain sheltered until the all-clear signal is given; the Thor Guard system is designed to help ensure public safety.
According to Atlantic Beach authorities, these measures reflect a commitment to community protection, recommending that the public seek shelter if the warning is activated and also to exercise sound judgment during poor weather conditions, warnings or not. The expanded Thor Guard system, functioning every day, proves an ever-watchful guardian, an electronic shepherd herding us away from the invisible menace that dances high above, ready at a moment's notice to sound the alarm, to alert us to seek refuge, to keep safe the souls beneath its gaze.