Stay Ahead Of The Storm: Room Alert Environment Monitoring During The 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season

This month marks the start of a new hurricane season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting near-normal hurricane activity in the Atlantic this year. The NOAA, a division of the National Weather Service, is forecasting a range of 12 to 17 total named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher). Of those, 5 to 9 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 1 to 4 major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5; with winds of 111 mph or higher). A “major hurricane” is a Category 3, 4 or 5, with a wind range of 111 mph to 157 mph and higher. Major hurricanes can cause catastrophic damage that could result in widespread power outages and leave residential areas uninhabitable for several days to months. According to a report by CoreLogic, a company that provides data and analytics for insurance companies, real estate professionals and financial institutions, “More than 32 million single-family homes and one million multifamily residences are at moderate or greater risk of sustaining damage from hurricane-force winds.”

Nearly 8 million of these properties have direct or indirect coastal exposure and are susceptible to storm surge flooding. If that still is not reason enough to invest in preparing for hurricane season, it is also worth noting that hurricanes are responsible for the highest cost both in damages and deaths of all weather-related disasters. Of the 310 billion-dollar weather disasters between 1980 and 2021, tropical cyclones (or hurricanes) have caused the most damage: over $1.1 trillion total, with an average cost of $20.5 billion per event. They are also responsible for the highest number of deaths: 6,697 between 1980 and 2021.

With this information and recent weather trends in mind, it continues to be more and more important every year to proactively prepare for hurricane season. Weather pattern changes are causing storms to grow larger in size while lingering longer over some regions; this leads to more damage when water leaks, roads flood, HVAC units don’t run, and power is lost. The time to prepare for a hurricane is now, when you have the time and are not under pressure from an approaching storm. Businesses must be prepared for the brunt of inclement weather long before it happens, as these storms often form quickly, and the impact can be tremendous.

Costly unplanned outages and damage from severe weather events cannot always be 100% prevented but, at the very least, you can prepare for such events beforehand and have a plan of attack ready. One critical component of efficient Hurricane & Disaster Preparedness is proactive environment monitoring. Environment Monitoring is unfortunately often overlooked but monitoring for changes in environmental conditions is extremely beneficial when trying to prevent and minimize the extent of damage hurricanes are known to produce such as strong winds, storm surge flooding, and heavy rainfall that can lead to inland flooding, tornadoes, and rip currents.

Room Alert is the most advanced and secure all-encompassing approach to successful environment monitoring and business continuity planning. The entire Room Alert platform consists of monitors, sensors, accessories and software that will begin proactively overseeing all of the conditions within your environment, from the moment it is installed. Room Alert will give you a frame of reference as to when your power was lost, or your data center temperatures began to rise, or water was detected in areas of your facility. When you receive immediate notification, thanks to Room Alert, you and your team will have as much time as possible to take corrective action and prevent irreversible damage from unfolding. Knowing when these issues started will allow you to begin planning recovery sooner rather than later. Even if your facility isn’t in the direct path of any hurricanes this season, you can still be impacted just as badly in the event of severe weather such as a sudden storm, a prolonged power outage, a heatwave and more. Install Room Alert today and be ready to re-open for business tomorrow.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about how environment monitoring with Room Alert can help keep your assets safe during hurricane season, please contact us today through email at Sales@AVTECH.com, through our online Live Chat service, or via phone at 401.628.1600.