Severe weather rolls through KC Chiefs training camp Saturday, sends fans home early
Thunderstorms in St. Joseph sent fans at Saturday’s Kansas City Chiefs training camp practice home early and forced the rest of the practice indoors.
Players took the field at Missouri Western State University around 9:15 a.m., with a few thousand fans in attendance.
Camp began last weekend and runs until Aug. 17, with fans able to attend all but three dates for free. Saturday was one of those three practices — fans paid $5 to watch the Super Bowl champions prepare for the upcoming season.
Around 10:20 a.m., however, an announcement was made that the Chiefs would leave the outdoor practice fields and move to their indoor facility at Missouri Western. Rain began to pour, and fans were asked to leave the facility.
The National Weather Service had issued a severe thunderstorm warning for St. Joseph after 7 a.m., and it remained in effect into the afternoon.
While the crowd fled to their cars, the Chiefs jogged to their indoor building in a matter of minutes, where practice continued. The team knows the drill. It’s the second time since training camp began two weeks ago that the Chiefs spent part of their practice indoors.
“Our guys don’t flinch,” said special teams coordinator Dave Toub. “It happens real quick. Some guys change their shoes, but they don’t miss a beat. Nobody (complains). That’s the beauty of our team. We have great leadership.”
Practice continued inside for another half-hour.
The Star’s Jesse Newell and Blair Kerkhoff also contributed to this report.