Red Rocks releases statement after Wednesday night’s hail storm that left dozens injured
MORRISON, Colo. (KRDO) - Wednesday, concert-goers expected a night of music and fun at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater. Instead, they were forced to run and hide for cover when a hail storm pelted the outdoor venue.
At 8:07 p.m., Red Rocks announced a weather delay for the Louis Tomlinson concert. People were told to take shelter in their vehicles. Roughly thirty minutes later, the venue announced the concert was back on.
At 9:04 p.m., the National Weather Service Office in Boulder issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for the area.
The venue then released another weather delay at 9:14 p.m. before officially postponing the show at 10:25 p.m. In that Tweet, the venue said: "Please be safe exiting the amphitheater."
By that point, West Metro Fire Rescue reported its crews were already responding to Red Rocks in conjunction with Stadium Medical for multiple traumatic injuries. Several people were hit by hail and injured while scrambling to get to safety.
According to 9News, ail up to the size of tennis balls pelted the concert-goers.
Seven people were taken to hospitals for non-life-threatening injuries. Between 80 and 90 people were treated at the scene with multiple injuries, ranging from cuts and broken bones.
Thursday morning, Red Rocks took to Twitter to address the hail storm and mass injuries. In a series of Tweets, the venue said:
"We want to take a moment to acknowledge the severe weather event at Red Rocks last night and offer our sincere best wishes to everyone affected by last night’s storms across Colorado.
We hope to see Louis Tomlinson and his fans back soon under clear Colorado skies – we know this was supposed to be a special night and many of you traveled long distances to be here, which makes decisions regarding the postponement or cancellation of shows even harder.
The Red Rocks crew would like to thank the teams at West Metro Fire, Stadium Medical, Argus, Aramark, Denver Fire, Denver Police, the Mountain Parks Rangers, our own staff and fans for their work and cooperation in a fast-developing situation.
And, we’re having a little talk with Mother Nature about this weather business at Red Rocks. Between a wind-whipped opening night wildfire, snow showers, torrential rains and hail, it’s been a crazy six weeks in the foothills."
Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre Twitter
