In an age when weather patterns are becoming less predictable and more extreme, early notification and crisis management plans are more essential than ever. Cities and towns across the country depend on accurate real-time weather software and other technology to alert citizens of an impending threat. While every weather event is different, one constant remains in all emergency situations: time.
Advances in Prediction Analytics
Most municipalities have plans in place to deal with major weather events, but those are only as effective as the early warning system. Fortunately, with advances in real-time lightning tracking and radar, communities have more time to prepare.
Modern weather software can provide accurate real-time forecasts up to 15 days in advance, down to the hour. With cloud-based information gathering and GPS technology, officials can track weather happening anywhere in the globe at all hours of the day. This unprecedented amount of foresight has helped communities prepare for the worse and minimize losses to life and property.
Getting the Word Out
When the threat of inclement weather is on the horizon, community officials need to act quickly to implement emergency procedures. In the advent of smartphone technology, more governments are turning to text and email notification to get the word out fast. Today, weather software can automatically trigger alert systems such as outdoor weather sirens at the first sign of trouble, giving residents more time to prepare.
Weather in the Age of Information
Whereas older weather models relied almost solely on radar and barometers, current models take in much more data from around the globe. This helps tack up-to-the-moment pattern shifts, providing a bigger, more accurate picture of the current forecast, using cloud-sourced information from hundreds of weather stations.
While communities may not be able to prevent dangerous weather events, they can be prepared. With real-time weather software, evacuation and damage prevention plans can go into place immediately, reducing unnecessary losses. Check with your local municipality to find out how your community officials keep their eyes on the sky.