Preparing for Severe Weather with Emergency Notification Systems


What is Severe Weather?

No matter where an organization is located in the world, severe weather can have on impact on day-to-day operations. According to the National Severe Storms Laboratory, types of severe weather storms can include thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, and blizzards. Severe weather conditions can include extreme heat or cold, hail, damaging winds, lightning, snow, freezing rain and more. What constitutes severe weather varies depending on where an organization is located and how it is equipped to handle the severe weather it experiences.

Having a severe weather safety plan can keep people out of harm’s way and minimize downtime. With emergency notification software, organizations can plan for different events they are likely to encounter, pre-build messages with safety information, and monitor alerts from the National Weather Service that can then automatically trigger an emergency broadcast. In this blog post, we’ll share severe weather safety tips to help keep people safe and informed.

Weather Safety Tips

Weather emergencies can have a devastating impact on any organization if plans and procedures are not in place to keep people safe. Raising severe weather awareness is a critical component of any safety plan. People within an organization need to know about what events they are likely to encounter and what steps are in place to help them find shelter.

Organization leaders should analyze what assets they have available to help spread the word about severe weather events. The more channels an organization can leverage, the more likely it is that it will reach everyone with the intended message. Organizations should look at on-premises and mobile devices to deliver safety information. Calls, email, SMS text, and push notifications should all be utilized when sending out severe weather information, but on-premises devices like desktop computers, digital signage and overhead speakers can also be put to use. The more connected an organization’s technology can be, the better chance they have of keeping everyone informed.

It’s also important to include clear instructions in the severe weather message. Having a standardized template that can be altered or filled in when severe weather approaches helps keep messaging consistent and shortens the time it takes to send the message out. Messages should tell people where to go and what to do. This means organizations need to designate safe places for different severe weather events. For example, a tornado may require people to go to a basement, while a hurricane may require them to evacuate.

It also means organizations need to educate their people about different terminology when it comes to safety instructions. Understanding the difference between what constitutes a lockdown and when “shelter in place” should be used are critical, especially when it comes to severe weather situations. Lockdowns are used for active shooter situations, while sheltering is used for natural disasters.

For more tips on severe weather preparedness, download our eBook to learn about preparing for different weather events with the help of an emergency notification system. You can also visit our severe weather page for more information.



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