AccuWeather gives businesses time to prepare and shelter during destructive EF-2 tornado in Florida
AccuWeather’s advance warnings and accurate forecasts helped businesses prepare and saved lives when a destructive EF-2 tornado hit Clearwater Beach, Florida.
>>Learn more about AccuWeather For Business
AccuWeather was the ONLY source to provide additional minutes of notice and the most accurate warning of an immediate rapidly developing EF-2 tornado in Clearwater Beach, Florida.
In the early morning of October 12, 2023, a severe thunderstorm produced a damaging EF-2 tornado in Clearwater Beach, Florida. The destructive tornado damaged businesses, brought down power lines, caused power outages, knocked down walls, and collapsed roofs across the area. AccuWeather’s expert meteorologists provided a life-saving tornado warning with 10 EXTRA minutes of additional notice compared to public government and all other sources.
>> READ MORE: The EF Scale: What is it and how are tornadoes measured?
AccuWeather was the ONLY source to provide additional minutes of notice and the most accurate warning of an immediate rapidly developing tornado threat:
• As the storm began to rotate rapidly, AccuWeather's Storm Warning Meteorologists issued a life-saving SkyGuard® Tornado Warning, which gave 17 minutes of advance notice BEFORE the intensifying tornado moved into Clearwater Beach and began to impact businesses and homes.
• AccuWeather issued the tornado warning for the Clearwater Beach area BEFORE any other source and provided 10 precious minutes of ADDITIONAL time for businesses to get employees and residents to safe shelters compared to the government and all other sources.
• This extra time is precious when a rapidly developing tornado like this one happens in the middle of the night when most people are sleeping.
AccuWeather spoke with the Pinellas County emergency management operations manager on Oct. 12 to learn the latest on a tornado that touched down in Florida in the hours after midnight.
>>READ MORE: Why are nocturnal tornadoes so dangerous?
AccuWeather once again provided customers with extra time to prepare and find safe shelter, which is crucial when every second counts and lives are at risk. These warnings help to protect people, property, and assets of AccuWeather's SkyGuard® customers in those areas.
AccuWeather's SkyGuard® Warnings aren't just a generic solution; they are tailored to meet the specific needs of various industries. Here's how AccuWeather's Superior Accuracy™ benefits businesses in specific industries with employees working overnight:
• Healthcare Industry: Hospitals and healthcare facilities operate around the clock, and patient safety is crucial. AccuWeather's advance warnings are a lifeline for healthcare professionals to secure patients, medical equipment, and personnel during severe weather events. This additional notice ensures that hospitals can continue providing essential care without disruptions.
• Manufacturing: Manufacturing plants and facilities often have overnight shifts to maximize production. The potential disruption due to severe weather can result in lost production time and damage to expensive machinery. Having the most accurate forecasts and warnings via the AccuWeather SkyGuard® service allows businesses to be prepared, keeping employees safe while minimizing expensive downtime.
• Hospitality and Entertainment: Hotels, resorts, and entertainment venues operate 24/7 to serve guests and customers. AccuWeather's advance warning ensures that these businesses can make timely decisions to protect their guests, avoid reputational harm, and provide a comfortable and safe experience.
• Security and Facility Management: Overnight security persons safeguard businesses and their assets. AccuWeather's warnings enable security teams to prepare for potential threats and ensure the safety of employees and property.
• Energy and Utilities: Utilities, like power and water supply companies, must maintain continuous services, especially during adverse weather conditions. AccuWeather's advance warnings allow them to proactively address issues, minimize service disruptions, and ensure a stable power supply for businesses and residents.
Superior Accuracy™: Better informed, Better protected, Better prepared.
As one example of our Superior Accuracy™, for tornadoes, we provide an average of 16 minutes of advance notice compared to an average of only 8 minutes from the National Weather Service. When tornadoes threaten, every second counts. AccuWeather’s false alarm rate on tornado warnings is much lower than other sources, significantly reducing unnecessary costly shutdowns, sometimes by as much as 80-90% for a specific facility.
Be proactive with AccuWeather SkyGuard® Warnings, which will deliver site-specific alerts and warnings well before severe weather hits, giving you more time to prepare. Plus, get access to a team of expert severe weather meteorologists watching out for your business 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The AccuWeather Advantage
AccuWeather’s track record of superior accuracy in weather forecasting and warnings has saved over 10,000 lives, prevented injury to over 100,000 people, minimized reputational harm and saved companies tens of billions of dollars – all beyond what has been done by the National Weather Service.
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