FEMA picks 4 NFL stadiums to serve as disaster shelters

PITTSBURGH, Pa. (KDKA) -- Four stadiums across America that are homes to NFL teams could soon be used by FEMA as emergency shelters during extreme weather events.

The stadiums will be used during events like hurricanes, tornadoes, and flooding. They will essentially be turned into emergency shelters and hospitals, under a new partnership between the National Football League and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The four venues that have been picked to serve as "Mission Venue Ready" locations are Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Lumen Field in Seattle and Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles is under review to become a potential fifth site.

"During large-scale emergencies, like the COVID-19 pandemic, hurricanes, or tornadoes, we've seen how large music, sports, and entertainment venues can serve as a safe space for communities," said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.

Criswell said that while FEMA is starting with the NFL, she encourages all venues across other sports leagues to join the collaborative effort between the two organizations.

For a stadium venue to be designated as an emergency location, the site must be centrally located in its area, near major roadways and hospitals, and must be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

"Stadiums are valuable community assets that are often used in times of disasters," said NFL Chief Security Officer Cathy Lanier in a statement.

Designations as Mission Ready Venues will need renewed every five years and will be checked every year for readiness and preparedness.

Helene headed towards Florida and the Gulf Coast

This new partnership between FEMA and the NFL comes as Hurricane Helene is bearing down on the southeastern part of the United States, including the Gulf Coast.

The storm could bring "catastrophic and deadly storm surge" to the area and is expected to make landfall over Florida's Big Bend Coast sometime Thursday evening.

It's unclear if Raymond James Stadium in Tampa could be activated as a disaster center for this storm.

Stadiums and their role during public health emergencies

When Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast in 2005, tens of thousands of people in New Orleans took shelter inside the Superdome. People were moved from the Superdome to the Astrodome in Houston after the stadium became heavily damaged in the storm.

NFL stadiums across the country also played a pivotal role in the rollout of vaccines amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.

The venues quickly turned into mass vaccination sites with more than a million doses of vaccines administered at NFL stadiums.