Make a Winter Storm Preparation Checklist

How do you prepare for a winter storm? When snow, sleet, freezing rain, or other inclement weather arrives, it’s always better to err on the side of caution. In fact, a well-prepared organization can take the necessary steps to minimize a winter storm’s impact, and fully recover from the event.

For example, a power failure caused by a winter storm can have major effects on an organization. Recently, thousands of businesses and homes across the United States and Canada lost power due to severe winter weather. Strong winds knocked down power lines and trees in several regions on Christmas, leaving many people without electricity or heat for days.

How will you respond to severe winter weather? Communication is important before, during, and after a winter storm. As a winter storm approaches, a well-prepared organization can notify people in regions that could be affected, and provide critical instructions to ensure their safety. In addition, an organization can provide real-time updates throughout a winter storm, and send an all-clear message after the storm has passed.

Create a winter storm preparation checklist to manage communication throughout the event’s lifecycle. By doing so, you’ll ensure that you’re ready to keep affected individuals up-to-date, regardless of what winter has in store, and minimize the impact of a severe weather event.

Prepare for winter weather – consider the following questions to create a winter storm preparation checklist for your organization.

1. How can I stay in touch with affected individuals? Develop a plan to communicate with affected individuals throughout the lifecycle of a winter storm. A multi-modal communication strategy ensures that you are targeting the individual, not the device, and increases the likelihood that message recipients can receive critical information when it matters most.

2. Am I ready for a power outage? When landlines fail, how will you notify affected individuals? With a multi-modal communication strategy, you can connect with people via multiple contact paths – just make sure that you have accurate contact information for message recipients before a winter storm arrives.

3. What storm preparedness and response tools are available? Leverage all of the tools at your disposal. During a winter storm, an emergency notification system is valuable because it allows you to reach affected individuals quickly and confirm receipt of notification. Social media is also important, and monitoring Instagram, Twitter, and other social networks allows you to get up-to-the-minute information about a storm that you can share with affected individuals.

A winter storm preparation checklist helps you limit the impact of inclement weather. To learn more about what to expect this winter, check out these webinar slides.