The Midwest and Great Lakes area was hard hit by unseasonable winter storms, a surprise bomb cyclone and devastating aftermath disasters during April 2019. Schools were shut down, highways had been closed, and flights were cancelled across Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota due to the severe weather associated with the bomb cyclone system.
For businesses responding to the effects of the cyclone, understanding what was needed for the relief effort was a difficult challenge. The key was to find turnkey solutions that easily provided a safe and warm place after a long day of relief work in these embattled areas. In this short blog, we’re going to talk about the best answers for businesses or agencies looking to prepare and recover from bomb cyclones and other storm-related incidents like power outages.
What Is a Bomb Cyclone?
A bomb cyclone occurs when the air pressure within a storm system drops by 24 millibars (or more) within 24 hours. This typically results in what most people would refer to as a winter hurricane. Imagine super cold high winds, dangerous driving conditions and plenty of heavy snow blanketing a projected area. For example, the April 2019 bomb cyclone produced winds in excess of 80 miles per hour and dumped up to 10 inches of snow in some areas of the country — many of which were not ready for this surprise weather.
What Happens During a Bomb Cyclone
According to Sioux Valley Energy, — an electrical cooperative based in Colman, South Dakota — the first estimates of damaged or downed electrical poles during the April 2019 bomb cyclone exceeded 375. More were soon discovered as crews continued their work. (The company maintains electricity within a 6,000-square-mile territory, almost half of which sustained serious damage during this round of storms.)
How to Prepare for Winter Storms, Outages and More
Naturally, one of the first questions that come to mind is “how do I keep my business prepared or running while dealing with something like this?”
There are various types of solutions you can use, but they will vary based on what your business or agency will need. Usually, for any disaster relief plan, you’ll want to follow a simple formula:
- Assess your risk factors
- Create an in-depth plan of action
- Put your plan of action to work
- Reflect on how things went and revise for the future
Once you’ve gained a detailed understanding of your risks and have created a plan, you’ll be able to act on and help mitigate your business’ disaster relief needs. One possible solution that can be a cure-all for many business and agency types is to employ the use of temporary base camps and mobile facilities. Relying on an expert disaster relief partner (especially one with expertise in winter storm recovery) for setting up these camps for your workers has been proven to better help manage housing and accommodations for assistance — which is extremely beneficial to power restoration crews. Even a single disaster relief mobile sleeper trailer can provide added comfort for those who need it most.
Recovering After Winter Storms
Even after the worst of the storm has gone by, it is critical to ensure that your people have the resources they need to stay energetic and to bring back productivity, especially if your organization manages relief and recovery efforts.
One solution is the temporary base camp, this offers a centralized point from which organizations and workers can deploy their resources. Base camps also tend to promote faster response times and more practical methods for getting food, water and other supplies to those affected by major storms and disasters.
To get this type of recovery assistance and logistical support, it’s crucial to choose an expert supply partner that offers reliable solutions for base camp deployments and turnkey responses for natural disasters and devastating storms. And depending on your business’ needs, it would also be beneficial if your partner could provide mobile sleeper trailers, full-service laundry facilities and other temporary solutions — especially if those solutions are designed specifically to provide basic comforts to first responders, utility workers and other disaster relief personnel.
