Tent Collapses During Bank Shareholders Meet, Dozen Casualties

Twelve people were injured, with three of them in serious conditions, in a tent collapse at Traditions Park in Hayden, Alabama, on Thursday night.

The large, 300-person tent collapsed due to a strong storm that hit the area. Traditions Bank was holding its annual shareholders’ meeting when the incident happened, reported WVTM13.

Six of the injured were rushed to hospitals in ambulances, while the other six were transported in private vehicles. The condition of three of them is serious, according to West Blount Fire Chief J.J. Ivey.

The storm winds were estimated to be below severe, the National Weather Service said. According to forecasts, the thunderstorms in Hayden may continue till Wednesday next week.

According to witnesses, the rain and winds picked up as they were having food, finally leading to the tent collapse. One witness said “it's a mess.” When the tent fell, two fell unconscious and the rest got cuts and other injuries to their neck and back.

Former football player, coach and analyst Lou Holtz, who was at one point coached Notre Dame and South Carolina, was scheduled to speak at the venue. According to reports, though he was present at the park, he was not injured.

The Blount County Sheriff's Office said multiple ambulances were sent to the scene following the incident.

The park officials posted a statement on its Facebook page.

"There was an event at Traditions Park tonight. There was a large tent put up for the event and during the storm tonight, the tent collapsed. Multiple first responders are on the scene and there were only a couple of minor injuries. Please pray for the people who were injured and thank God no one was seriously injured. Please stay clear of the scene and allow West Blount Fire District - Hayden and the other groups onsite to do their job. Thank you," the statement said.

Half an hour before the incident, Chief Meteorologist at WVTM13, Jerry Tracey, tweeted a Doppler Radar image that showed thunderstorms developing over both Jefferson and Southern Blount Counties, moving northeast.

A “Significant weather advisory” warning was issued for southwestern Blount County and north central Jefferson County by the National Weather Service in Birmingham.

In October 2017, a temporary costume shop tent in the shape of a 100-foot bright orange pumpkin named Halloween Express collapsed due to high winds and rains in Milwaukee. The tent was made by Larger Than Life Inflatables and House of Bounce, two California based companies.

Halloween Express received $ 101,744 for damages from its insurer Hastings Mutual for the incident.

Now, according to latest reports, the insurance company is suing House of Bounce and Larger Than Life Inflatables. It alleged that the pumpkin tent went down due to design and manufacturing defects.