Meteorological resilience is the neglected pillar of business continuity

It is easy to see this week how time affects the continuity of activities. A powerful Spring Storm System will lead to the threat of tornadoes and winds damage to Oklahoma, through the Mississippi valley and on the States of the Atlantic Middle; The snow covers parts of the northern states; And the risk of forest fire will increase through New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma. These are just some of the weather events that can cause generalized power outages, close the goods movement and damage buildings and infrastructure.

What is more difficult to see for businesses is how weather risk plans created well before weather events, build the meteorological resilience necessary for events like these. In a precedent Forbes The article I wrote on some of the reasons mentioned.

The importance of meteorological resilience

One of the most important things in the past five years has taught us all is the value of having a solid commercial resilience strategy that tries to minimize and adapt to different types of disturbances. The weather, of course, should be part of any continuous resilience strategy.

If a hurricane, a flood, an ice storm or forest fires can withdraw your business offline for a day, a week, a month or more, weather resilience must be at the front and center in any continuity of productive activity. Many companies give time to time. But with changing weather conditions and number of extreme increasesMany other undervaluing its importance for the continuous viability of a business.

Meteorological events devastate a region, physically and economically. For an illustration, do not look for the effects further Hurricane Helene In September 2024. The category 4 storm killed 230 people in North Carolina and Georgia, destroyed or damaged 70,000 houses, flooded with roads and bridges and closed power for 4.7 million citizens. It caused $ 250 billion in economic impactLet companies rush to personnel changes and maintain operations on the move.

Determine weather risks before meteorological events

Although no one can control the weather – Yes, people have asked me – companies can use data to better prepare for its effects. Using High -level regional forecastsMidwest companies, for example, could prepare April forecasts that call for Arctic Air and Snow cycles. In the southwest, from California to Texas, dry conditions should cause droughts. On the east coast, from Georgia to Maine, storms should be released in the spring.

Having this data available a few months in advance, Michigan companies could buy additional heating oils to prepare for longer than usual cold shots. Farmers in southern California could change watering strategies to keep the crops robust during a next project. And construction operators in the west of North Carolina can confidently plan the renovations in March and April, given the forecasts of less rain.

Granular ideas reduce risks

However, meteorological resilience is not more than creating long -range plans. It is a question of having hyper-local weather data at hand, so that companies can examine very specific scenarios. They can create emergency plans and rotate quickly to make decisions that improve their results and in some cases, even save their businesses.

For example, meteorological data can help airlines plan the flights to maintain or send in the air. In a wind storm, an airport operator can go up a weather card which says that the wind blows at 8 knots in the city. Meanwhile, the weather data that allows more can reveal that the winds on a specific track are up to 11 knots, exceeding the threshold to close this track.

Specific forecasts help the LPGA Pro Tour Create a better customer experience and partner. Rather than relying on a single forecast covering an area the size of a golf course, they can isolate forecasts for certain parts of the course, identifying where hot spots are found so that they can strategically locate tents, water stations and medical stations in the right areas. They can also project the gravity of the winds at the end of the afternoon, ensuring that they do not put a tent in an area where it could explode.

And on the logistics side, meteorological technology can provide precise forecasts for the sidewalk slide on specific roads. This helps companies rebroadcast deliveries in certain areas where they are more likely to meet ice patches.

Technology can also help trucks avoid one of the largest causes of collisions: strong winds. Last week, we saw several examples of blows, like this truck Captured on video at Kansas. Advanced forecasts integrated into other data sources, such as road conditions and topography, help transport companies to make informed choices on the reaches of trucks, adjustment of departure hours and the restriction of empty truck operations during dangerous conditions. Beings are not only a risk of security, but also a legal and financial risk. A transport customer told me that a single truck due to the strong winds had a financial impact potential of up to $ 200 million.

Continuity of activities requires meteorological resilience

In today’s global economy, companies harden their defenses against everything, from cyber violations to supply chain problems and talent shortages. Resilience to extreme weather events should also be an absolute priority. A thoughtful risk plan adapted to the company will help decision -makers to plan, prepare and reduce risks, experience extreme weather events like now.