An Eye On The Storm

How AccuWeather and the Science of Meteorological Forecasting Play a Role in Security

Part 3 of a 4 Part Series on Technologies that we’re Testing for 2021

 EYEBALLIN’ IT

Sometime today, before checking the weather on your phone or your watch or the news, go outside and lookup. Then try to guess if it’s going to rain.  Or whether the wind will pick up.  Or if there’s going to be lightning with those accumulating thunderclouds.  

Unless you grew up on the sea (or are by chance two hundred years old and a frequent reader of almanacs) chances are good that whatever predictions you make will be more akin to wild guesses than actual forecasting.  Let’s face it: A grandpa’s achy knee that acts up every time “rain’s coming” has more of a chance to know what’s brewin’ than you.  

And when it comes to security, it turns out knowing more about the weather equates to knowing you’re safer.

WHY THE WEATHER COUNTS

Weather forecasting gives those in your company’s Global Security Operations Center reliable, real-time data to know how to respond to changing weather.  You might be wondering what does the weather have to do with security?  We’re glad you asked.  

1.      Better knowledge of weather forecasts can give actionable insights, like whether you’re going to have to alter any part of your security layout\enforcement.  In the event of storms or natural disasters, physical security can be adapted to whatever’s howlin’ on the wind.  

2.     Whether it’s a blizzard, windstorm, electrical strike, or something stronger – knowing a storm’s potential for threatening the power-grid can be the difference between enacting countermeasures on time or being left in the dark with the doors open.  This is but one of the many ways forecasting can minimize risk.  

3.     Simply put - safety.  Let’s not forget the first priority of any security system is the safeguarding of the people inside your building.  The weather has been a threat to mankind for quite some time.  Knowing if it’s just a rainstorm or a full-blown tornado can mean the difference between life and death.  Like it did in Baltimore, Maryland back in November of 2018 when two men died in a partial collapse of an Amazon warehouse.  The collapse was directly caused by high winds that tore through in the middle of the night catching the workers off guard.  

These are just three of the countless examples we’ve referenced when talking to clients about weather-contingent strategies for security integration.  While the weather might seem periphery, anyone who takes security seriously will know that it can be a major factor and often without much warning. 

ACCUWEATHER HAS IT DIALED 

So we know the weather is important.  And short of keeping a meteorologist on the payroll, we wanted to find the best way of keeping track of it.  There are plenty of apps and other weather alert systems around; even your standard IOS has a weather function.   But we weren’t looking for standard – we were looking for the best. 

AccuWeather Pro offers a huge line of features that puts it at the very top of our list.  Among them are Real-Time Radar (so you can see developing weather over your exact location), Advanced Weather Alarms (calibrated to geographical markers so that you’re never out of the loop), multiple forecast models (because data is your best friend), and the expertise and insight of over 100 on staff meteorologists (because when it counts the most, you trust the experts).  

The simple truth is, there are few additions you can make to your security system that cost so little but have so much enormous potential benefit.  With a spate of tools to keep an eye on all the changing weather patterns and future forecasts, you’ll never be caught off guard again.  

AccuWeather Professional has it down to a science.  

Contact us to learn more about how we can integrate your security solutions to withstand any forecast.