AccuWeather Helps Businesses Prepare and Protect Lives
On June 21, 2023, severe weather moved from the northern Plains through the southern Plains, unleashing devastating tornadoes, destructive hail, damaging thunderstorm winds and flash flooding. AccuWeather For Business played a crucial role in providing advance notice and critical information, which saved lives and helped businesses better prepare for a destructive tornado near Matador, Texas, just outside of Lubbock. The small town of about 800 bore the brunt of the deadly storms, experiencing significant property damage and loss of life.
As the tornado rapidly intensified and approached Matador, AccuWeather's Storm Warning meteorologists issued a SkyGuard® Tornado Warning, potentially saving lives by providing businesses 18 minutes of advance notice BEFORE the tornado developed. AccuWeather was the only source to provide advance warning on this tornado, with government warnings coming five minutes after the tornado touched down. For businesses in Matador, AccuWeather issued a SkyGuard Tornado Warning providing 29 minutes of advance notice BEFORE the tornado approached with intense winds in excess of 160 mph. This provided an additional 23 valuable minutes for employees and customers to seek shelter, compared to other weather sources.
AccuWeather’s Storm Warning meteorologists alerted businesses to the tornado risk seven hours before a tornado touched down, which was several hours ahead of government and private weather sources. The government-issued tornado watch came much later, only an hour before the tornado occurred.
The tornado obliterated the town, destroyed businesses and tossed vehicles into the air. Imagine having 31 minutes of advance notice that a tornado was headed straight for your business. The advance notice would allow you to take every precaution to protect your people and property.
Here are some of the ways businesses and industries in the path of a storm like this can be better prepared with AccuWeather For Business:
- Agricultural Sector - Farmers, ranchers and agricultural businesses could secure livestock and take necessary precautions to minimize damage to their valuable assets.
- Construction - Construction companies working on projects in and around the path of the storm could receive early warnings, allowing them to secure construction sites, protect equipment and ensure the safety of their workers.
- Retail and Hospitality - Retailers, such as grocery stores, home improvement stores and hospitality businesses, could implement evacuation plans, secure their premises and safeguard their customers and staff.
- Transportation and Logistics - Trucking companies and logistics providers operating in the path of the storm received vital information in advance, enabling them to reroute shipments, adjust schedules and ensure the safety of their personnel.
- Hospitals - Early notification of severe weather allows hospitals to activate emergency protocols, ensure patient safety, secure critical equipment and mobilize staff for efficient evacuation or necessary preparations to provide uninterrupted care during the impending weather event.
AccuWeather For Business demonstrated its commitment to public safety by providing customers, especially those utilizing AccuWeather’s SkyGuard® Warnings, with valuable additional time to better prepare and seek safe shelter. Every second counts during a severe weather event, and AccuWeather's timely warnings have proven instrumental.
>>READ MORE: When minutes matter: how to plan for and respond to a SkyGuard Tornado Warning
AccuWeather’s forecasts, backed by Superior Accuracy™ and 1:1 consultations with one of our Storm Warning Meteorologists, allow businesses to make quick, impactful decisions to keep their people safer.
Want to learn more about how to better protect your people and property from the risk and threat of tornadoes? Speak with an expert and demo SkyGuard today.
