Snowstorms

Winter storms are normal occurrences in extreme climates prevalent in Polar Regions. The phenomenon can take various forms such as snow, winds, sleet, blowing snows, squalls, freezing rains, coastal floods and so on. The impact of such hazards on individuals and enterprises can be quite severe while the damage to assets and infrastructure, devastating. These phenomena occur on a yearly basis especially during the cold months of winter and can occur frequently well into spring.

Earlier this year in January, 2018, many Pension Funds Offices in states along the eastern coast such as Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Virginia had to be closed due to harsh winter storms. These offices include the Maine Public Employees Retirement System, New Hampshire Retirement System, New York State Common Retirement Fund, Connecticut Retirement Plans & Trust Funds and Employees’ Retirement System of Rhode Island.

The country’s eastern coast was ravaged by a series of successive winter storms from the north easterly winds in the month of March that resulted in widespread damage, chaos and confusion.

• Rylan – Impacted regions along the strip of land from North Carolina to Maine including major cities such as New York, Washington D.C., Philadelphia and Boston.
• Quinn – Impacted regions included Philadelphia, New York and Boston. Although not as severe as Riley, Quinn did do considerable damage through snowfall, winds and some coastal flooding.
• Skylar – The third winter storm for the month of March had its sights set on parts of Boston, New York and New England. The inches of snow piled across the country’s eastern belt as thousands of flights were cancelled.
• Toby – The fourth consecutive winter storm in March drifted further south along the east coast as Florida, Georgia and Kentucky were also included in the list of impacted regions. Once again, thousands of flights were cancelled and many establishments had to incur losses in revenue.

There were even lightning and thunder strikes. Thousands of homes and establishments suffered power outages.

Business activity saw major and prolonged interruptions this year in the month of April due to severe storms in the central to northern regions. Scheduled flights had to be cancelled or postponed. Major roadways were layered with inches of ice and had to be closed. Commercial establishments and retail outlets had to be closed and had to incur severe losses in sales and revenue. Power supply to tens of thousands of residences and offices was cut off. A state of emergency was even declared in several counties in Georgia. Educational institutions had to be shut for days on end and academic programs fell behind schedule. There were even a few fatalities due to accidents on the road as some hazarded the risk of venturing outdoors in cars and vehicles.

 

Precautions and Preventive Measures

• Avoid commuting by cars or vehicles. Even when roads and highways haven’t been closed, driving can prove extremely risky due to the slippery surface and poor levels of visibility.
• Stay indoors. Step outdoors only if it is absolutely necessary.
• Make sure doors and windows are seal off and well insulated. This helps retain heat within the building.
• Wear warm clothes with many layers of loose fitting clothing. Ensure that your hands, feet, ears and head are fully covered
• Stock up on food, water, fuel, batteries and other basic needs. This will prove a vital measure in case the bad weather persists for days on end.
• Keep water pipes warm. Allow water out of taps in drops. This prevents pressure from building up in the water pipes.
• Make sure building’s roof is well secured and able to withstand the additional due to all the snow piling up on top.
• Keep trees and vegetation on the property trim. Get rid of weak limbs and branches that might buckle under pressure.
• Enroll in a good insurance program that provides adequate coverage.
• Stay abreast of the latest developments in the area via radio or television.
• Safeguard important documents, cards and other valuables.
• Perform light exercises from time to time to maintain blood circulation and to keep the body warm.

Business and Commerce

In the case of business establishments, one can consider conducting extensive tabletop exercises to develop strategies towards countering extreme cold weather conditions.

• Get as many people involved in the exercise to identify challenges, difficulties and possible solutions.
• Ensure that everyone is made aware of existing channels of emergency notification and communication.
• Take stock of past winter storm incidents and the corresponding response strategies that were implemented.
• Identify gaps or loopholes in past incident responses.
• Discuss and debate over possible ways to improve upon existing procedures.
• Arrive at a consensus and draft a final solution.
• Test plans and strategies under simulated conditions. This exercise could be carried out during months leading up to peak winter season.
• Archive test results and improve upon gaps and inefficiencies in the existing plan.
• Provide periodical employee training.
• Maintain existing systems and procedures through regular updates.

 

While the number of fatalities due to severe conditions in winter has greatly reduced over the last 100 years due to modern techniques such as weather planning, forecasting, real time updates and so on, winter storms can still cause a lot of damage indirectly through accidents, hypothermia and frostbite if one does not proactively take adequate safety measures.