“Rush hour in Big Sur, Calif. has taken on a whole new meaning,” writes Kirk Siegler in his latest NPR article entitled “Commuting By Foot: Big Sur Residents Struggle With Life After Mudslide.”
We could quickly tell this was weather related – something you can relate to, right?
According to Siegler’s article, “Most mornings and afternoons, a newly built footpath that plunges through a grove of towering redwoods is clogged with workers and school kids.”
“That hiking trail is a lifeline. It circumnavigates a bridge on the Pacific Coast Highway that's been closed since February, after it collapsed from rain and mudslides. Without that path, much of the village of Big Sur would be cut off from the outside world,” the article continues.
This statement hit us hard and got us thinking about the effects of weather. It can have a great impact on states, cities, towns, and certainly your property.
Siegler writes in his NPR piece that “a 60-mile stretch of rugged, central California coastline between San Francisco and Los Angeles, Big Sur was hammered by 100 inches of rain this past winter, falling on steep mountainsides ravaged by drought and fires.”
100 inches of rain? We could only imagine the consequential damage.
It makes us nervous, especially with the potential damage adverse weather could do if it slams your city and property.
What would you do? How would you manage this emergency? Do you have processes in place to mitigate this?
Are you StormReady like one of our proactive clients, the Nashville Predators?
And let’s not forget, right now is a nerve-racking time for our Atlantic coast properties as hurricane season started June 1st and will go to the end of November.
We know we need to prepare you.
Keep reading; we’re going to share some insight on how to be proactive when adverse weather comes your way.
Below are highly recommended steps for managing the impact of severe weather on your property.
It’s time to keep the tens, hundreds, and even thousands of guests you’re charged with protecting, safe.
Whether you have guidelines in place already, are looking for a benchmark to get started, or plan to become Storm Ready, we all must anticipate Mother Nature’s fury.
Here are some ways to be ready for adverse weather threatening your property:
A public service announcement (PSA) will notify guests that a report of pending weather problems requires the event be canceled.
Now let’s say the weather passes your property.
Wet patches will most likely remain, right? This scenario means incidents such as wet spills can occur. These can quickly escalate to major medical issues from a slip & fall.
You need to trust that your team handles the aftermath appropriately. Train them well to keep your guests and themselves safe during the entire event.
Here’s what to do next.
Professionally train your team to execute these adverse weather methods.
They’ve got to be ready for anything!
Set your team up for success.
Develop their knowledge of your property’s guidelines. Show them how to mitigate incidents that stem from the after-effects of bad weather.
Be the ‘proactive leader’ they require.
Use tabletop exercises to run real-life practice scenarios using the methods above while asking and answering the seven questions below.
Deliver the safest experience. Practice like everyone’s life depends on it.
Now, we’re going to show you how to augment your ability to keep everyone safe with a solution during weather-related scenarios.
Training your employees on the procedures above is a good practice.
But, don’t rely on them to recall every aspect of their training. Certain types of situations don’t always happen, which means they’ll likely forget how to perform.
You need everything communicated effectively. You also need your team to execute these protocols efficiently.
Put the right incident management infrastructure in place to get real-time data and have communication throughout all your departments.
Because real-time communication is the only way to receive real-time data. It’s especially important during severe weather or any emergency for that matter.
You must eliminate poor communication and how it affects the safety of your guests.
How do you accomplish this?
Incident management software helps your team communicate and understand the information needed during weather-related events.
Don’t stop there, though.
Enhance your system with incident management mobile apps. These apps will help your command center communicate protocols efficiently.
What does all of this help you achieve? Faster response times.
Everyone is being notified simultaneously and without communication bottlenecks. The system captures all of the actions associated with an incident.
Then, it communicates proper protocols to your teams.
Let’s say that a high priority incident occurs as a result of your most recent evacuation.
Your staff doesn’t hesitate with an implemented system.
How’s this result for Proactive Operations? How professional does your team look? We think you know the answer.
Do you see how having all of the following safeguards in place can help you prepare your property for unfavorable weather?
This preparation is how you prevent weather from battering your operation.
So, are you ready now?
It’s terrifying to think of the long-term impact adverse weather can have on communities – and your property. The bottom line is that you must be proactive in keeping your guests safe. That’s first and foremost.
Use these guidelines to jumpstart your proactive operation. Utilizing them will put you on the right path to become StormReady officially.