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How wind affects the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

ABC NEWS

By: Katie McGraw

Posted

Happy Thanksgiving! We are expected to have nice weather across NE Ohio for Turkey Day. But of course, the Power of 5 weather team is watching the weather conditions all over the country since millions of people are traveling to and from Ohio. I am also watching the forecast for New York City since the weather plays a massive role in the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.

The iconic parade started nearly 100 years ago and attracts millions of people who watch the event from the packed NYC streets and across the country at home. And there have been times when the balloons have blown away, been punctured, stabbed or even deflated. But sometimes, the balloons have gotten out of control, resulting in injuries.

The 1997 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is one of the most infamous. Several balloons were damaged or destroyed due to strong winds reaching 45 miles per hour. The iconic Cat in the Hat balloon got caught up in these strong winds and hit a lamppost. A portion of the lamppost came crashing down on spectators. Four people were injured, including a woman who suffered severe injuries and was in a coma for a month! Barney the Dinosaur was another one of the balloons that suffered a sad fate in 1997. The same gusty winds caused the balloon to blow about, eventually pop and dramatically deflate.

Strict safety measures were put in place to prevent future incidents. In 1998, giant balloons had to be attached to utility tractors, and there was also a size limit on balloons. This meant many of the balloons had to retire early. Additionally, several giant balloons cannot fly if the sustained wind speed is faster than 23 mph and gusts over 34 mph. The balloons can fly as high as 55 feet and as low as 10 feet but can be grounded if necessary.