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Worker Killed by Falling Beam The accident occurred in Pavilion 2 when one of the massive support beams, of what is essentially a huge tent, fell on him. Crandy was working as a contractor to help construct display booths for the show. His three-man crew had reportedly departed the pavilion for lunch just minutes before the tornado struck. Crandy had apparently been checking the status of construction when he was struck by the support beam. The tent was literally ripped apart by the winds, and now lies in a heap of tattered wreckage. The Wyndham Hotel, just across the street from the pavilions, was heavily damaged. Curtains and linens could be seen hanging out of the broken windows. Guests staying at the hotel were relocated Wednesday night. Event organizers have announced a revised scheduled. The show will now open at 9 a.m. Friday, and will operate on extended hours for the remaining days of the trade show. Friday through Sunday, Outdoor Retailer will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Today, Thursday, is being called a "set-up" day. The tornado struck on Wednesday near noon, before manufacturers' exhibits could be set up in the Salt Palace convention center. For those exhibitors who had been assigned to the pavilions, the news is not good. The area around the pavilions has been "quarantined" while clean-up efforts continue. Non-profit organizations, and other non-commercial exhibitors, who were allocated space in the main building, have offered to give up their spaces to exhibitors from the pavilions. However, since those exhibitors cannot retrieve their displays and other merchandise from the wreckage of the pavilions due to the quarantine, it's clear that some exhibitors will not be able to display their wares as planned. Outdoor Retailer Director Dieter Tremp, was quoted as saying, "We need to get creative, this is not about making big bucks, but about pulling together. We expect people to share booth space, and many exhibitors have stepped forward voluntarily." An update on the Outdoor Retailer show schedule is slated for 1 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time. MountainZone.com will post the latest information. — Peter Potterfield, MountainZone.com Staff
Peter Potterfield reports from downtown Salt Lake City where earlier today an F2 Tornado struck, the first ever of that magnitude to hit the state of Utah. One person has been confirmed dead and 49 are reported injured. Earlier reports indicated as many as 100 people had been injured. Most of the destruction seems to have centered around the Salt Palace, which today was being set-up for the beginning of the four-day Outdoor Retailer Show. "Kayaks were flying through the air," Potterfield reported one exhibitor as saying. "They were holding onto to anything to keep from being blown away." People reportedly had no warning of the tornado. Potterfield reported debris, including trees, glass, and parts of exhibition tents, litters the streets around the Palace. A press conference has been scheduled for tomorrow morning to announce the fate of the Outdoor Retailer show, expected to draw 20,000 outdoor industry members. Scheduled to have begun tomorrow at 9 a.m., the show has already been postponed to Friday morning. — Sarah Love, MountainZone.com Staff
"Everybody who has arrived here is stunned to learn of the extent of the disruption," Peter Potterfield, MountainZone.com's editor and publisher, reported from Salt Lake City International Airport at just after 3:30 p.m. Most of the injured were reportedly in an exhibitor's tent at the Salt Palace setting up for the Outdoor Retailer show, slated to begin at 9am tomorrow morning. Over 20,000 people are expected to arrive in the city for the show. The show has been officially delayed. According to a press release distributed by the event organizers, "As of 4:30 PM this afternoon, the show has been officially postponed one day. The show will begin on Friday, August 12 at 9:00 AM and run through Sunday -- these dates are contingent upon all safety concerns being met at the Salt Palace Convention Center. We will keep you updated as we receive confirmation on the status of the show." Roads are blocked, Potterfield said, which is causing huge delays in transportation from the airport. Outdoor Retailer is the largest exhibition of outdoor industry products. Over 14,000 people attended last year's four-day event. — Sarah Love, MountainZone.com Staff
At just before one o'clock today, a tornado hit Salt Lake City where thousands of people are gathering for the massive Outdoor Retailer Show. It was reported that just after 12:40pm, the tornado touched down, causing extensive damage to the downtown area, including the Salt Palace convention center and the nearby Wyndham Hotel. MountainZone.com staff is currently en route to Salt Lake City. Full story to follow.
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Peter Potterfield Reports from Salt Lake City