When should we suspend the meet for lightning?

The NFHS default guidelines for contests during lightning (detailed in the NFHS Sports Medicine Handbook) are:

• When thunder is heard or a cloud-to-ground lightning bolt is seen, the storm is close enough to strike. Suspend competition and take shelter immediately.
• 30-minute rule: wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder or lightning before resuming.
• Any thunder or lightning during the count resets the clock to a new 30 minutes.

Meet management should assign staff to monitor the weather, and have an evacuation plan with nearby shelters identified before the meet. State associations may set their own policies.