Railroads avoid disaster during dangerous derecho with SkyGuard alerts

Accuweather clients were warned of a destructive derecho in the Midwest region, allowing for preparation and avoidance of train derailments and other risks.

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AccuWeather For Business clients provided accurate and actionable warnings for winds up to 100 mph, 30-60 minutes before the Iowa derecho hit

What is a derecho?

The term "derecho" refers to a dangerous type of thunderstorm complex that travels along a path of at least 240 miles, according to the Storm Prediction Center (SPC). These violent severe thunderstorm clusters produce widespread and long-lived, straight-line wind damage. Derechos are often referred to as inland hurricanes due to the hurricane-like conditions, in terms of ferocious wind and torrential rain, which are spawned by this weather phenomenon.

A storm for the record books

On Monday, August 10, 2020, what started as a small line of thunderstorms across Eastern Nebraska quickly developed into a menacing “derecho” – a rare complex of thunderstorms that persists over several hundred miles and produces widespread, dangerous and damaging wind gusts. The derecho rocketed across Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and southwest Michigan leaving a trail of destruction and injuries in its wake.

What didn't happen

Train derailments and all associated hazards and risks – crew member injuries, tens of millions of dollars to rail equipment, hazardous materials spills were prevented, and it wasn’t by chance. It was because multiple Class I railroads in the storm’s devastating path were prepared thanks to AccuWeather For Business, who provided rail clients advance notice of the risk for unusually high, damaging winds up to 100 mph.

Hours before the event unfolded, AccuWeather clients were warned of the quickly developing threat with special forecast maps. They were able to track the storm live on the SkyGuard Portal and Mobile companion app. As the storm got closer to valuable assets, clients received 30-60 minutes of advance notice with specially crafted warnings generated by expert meteorologists highlighting “wind gusts up to 100 mph.” Trains were stopped. Crews remained safe.

This example is just one of many that occur each day showcasing the proven Superior Accuracy™ that AccuWeather delivers to clients. Only AccuWeather provides pinpoint, highly-accurate warnings with expertise developed from partnering with railroads for decades.

Benefits of working with industry experts

This high impact fast-moving event highlights the difference between automated, model derived solutions vs. having a team of meteorologists watching out for your business and assets. Relying on automated data tools would have been disastrous. But when you have a team of experts watching the weather on your network for you every second of every day, as AccuWeather does, adjustments can be made quickly and to your benefit.

It’s no secret that every Class I railroad in North America partners with AccuWeather For Business – and for good reason! AccuWeather’s SkyGuard warning service provides the most accurate and actionable weather insights ensuring railroads can anticipate and mitigate the impact of weather on their operations. These services enhance safety, minimize risk and optimize network performance, among many additional benefits railroads have enjoyed for decades by partnering with AccuWeather.

The difference is clear

When life safety and business continuity are on the line, AccuWeather For Business provides a team of expert meteorologists watching your network 24/7 to ensure your employees are safe and negative impacts on your network are mitigated.

Be proactive with AccuWeather's SkyGuard^® Warnings, which will deliver site-specific alerts and offer warnings well before severe weather hits, giving you much-needed time to be prepared. 

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Serving more than half of Fortune 500 companies and thousands of businesses globally, AccuWeather is recognized as the most accurate source of weather forecasts, warnings, and data in the world.

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