The England national football team's World Cup preparations took a dramatic turn when a severe tornado warning forced the squad to seek shelter at their training base in Kansas City. The Three Lions had arrived in the city on Saturday morning and conducted their first training session at the Swope Soccer Village under clear skies. However, by evening, an emergency alert warned of a potentially deadly tornado, prompting the entire camp to take cover.
Severe Weather Alert
The emergency notification read: "Critical. Imminent Threat Alert." The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning with destructive 80 mph winds, advising residents to take shelter in sturdy buildings away from windows. Flying debris was described as potentially deadly for those caught without shelter. The warning urged people to move to interior rooms on the lowest floor. A tornado watch remained in effect until 11:00 PM CDT for northeastern and east central Kansas, as well as west central Missouri.
England's Response
The England squad followed the advice and stayed indoors at the Sporting KC headquarters, located seven miles northwest of their team hotel. The team is staying at The Inn at Meadowbrook, an English-style cottage resort south of the city. Just hours earlier, the team had enjoyed bright sunshine and trained in front of around 300 spectators. The only concern then was whether captain Harry Kane and his teammates had applied enough sunscreen.
Storm Impact
By 8 pm, conditions had changed dramatically, with a raging storm described by locals as one of the worst in the past year. A siren was heard in the city centre, warning anyone outside to seek shelter. SunSport had reported in May that the England squad would be given tornado drills amid fears of twisters in the area, known as "tornado alley." A hotel staff member said: "If the siren goes off we advise guests to shelter in their bathroom away from windows."
FA Source Comments
An FA source said: "While a twister is unlikely, and the chances of a direct hit even more remote, things have to be put in place. The security team have spoken to the hotel and know the drills, and this advice will be passed on to the players and team staff." The alert came four days after England's friendly against Costa Rica was delayed by an hour due to a massive thunderstorm. The incident capped off a chaotic 24 hours, which also saw the team's boots and training equipment stolen and later recovered, while their team chef was barred from boarding a train for carrying kitchen knives.
