The Storm Effect
Is your business ready for the
next severe weather event?
When a major storm hits, your business is only as strong as the network that keeps it up and running.
Decades of data show that the Earth’s temperature is warming at a rapid rate, creating conditions for more frequent and more severe weather events.1 What were once considered once-in-a-century floods are now happening every 25 years,2 and once a decade in some communities. Blizzards, wildfires, hurricanes and tornadoes are occurring more often with greater intensity, increasing the risks to residents and businesses in every part of the United States. Thriving in the age of climate change requires adapting to it. An end-to-end, nationwide communications network of unmatched size and scope, with scalable capabilities, cutting-edge technology and the latest equipment, will help industries of every size stand up to these challenges.
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- rainstorm
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- tornado
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*May not include all weather events in February 2024
In 2023, the United States experienced 28 separate weather and climate disasters that cost at least $1 billion each, with total damages adding up to nearly $93 billion.3 For businesses, power outages and other disruptions caused by severe weather can lead to supply chain delays, equipment damage and lost productivity — especially as more businesses across the country rely on digital communication, network connectivity and the cloud for their day-to-day operations. They need a network built to help them prepare and recover from the complex challenges caused by dangerous weather events as they become more common, more severe and less predictable. How we respond before, during and after extreme weather is crucial to business networks and everyone who relies on them.
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- snow
- blizzard
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- wildfire
One storm wreaks havoc on more than 150 million people
On February 26, 2024, meteorologists warned of a massive storm system set to sweep across the continental United States, beginning with heavy snows in the Northwest.4 The interplay of hot, dry air at the front of the storm and unusually warm, humid air ahead of it sparked and fanned wildfires in the Plains and brewed thunderstorms and tornadoes in the South and Upper Midwest. Temperatures dropped rapidly — by nearly 60 degrees in 12 hours in Kansas City, Missouri, from 73 degrees Fahrenheit in the afternoon to 12 degrees at midnight. On its way out to the Atlantic Ocean, the storm pummeled the Northeast with heavy rain, snow and winds.
Source: Washington PostSource: poweroutage.usThe storm takes multiple forms
As the storm barreled across the country, harsh winds, blizzard conditions and fires knocked out power for residents and businesses in its path. That could have left every kind of business, from retail stores to utilities to manufacturers, without the fundamental communications capabilities they needed to operate.
Source: Washington PostSource: poweroutage.usSnow in the Pacific Northwest
More than 5 million people in the Cascade Mountain areas of Oregon and Washington were under winter weather advisories or storm warnings. Forecasts warned of increased snow accumulations at higher elevations, with winds up to 40 mph.5
Source: Washington PostSource: poweroutage.usWildfires in Texas and the
Great Plains
Red flag warnings for dangerous fire conditions affected nearly 20 million people from Texas to Illinois. At the front of the storm, winds as high as 70 mph, dry air and record high temperatures up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit created ideal conditions for wildfires to start and spread, combining to become the largest wildfire in Texas history.6
Source: Washington PostSource: poweroutage.usBlizzards in the Upper
Midwest
More than 55 million people were included in severe weather alerts as the storm progressed. As the storm system made its way east, heavy snow and high winds prompted blizzard warnings in North Dakota and Minnesota, with winds up to 60 mph, several inches of snow and wind chill temperatures as low as 25 degrees below zero.7
Source: Washington PostSource: poweroutage.usTornadoes in the Midwest and
South
The storm spun up tornado threats across Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana, with nearly 30 million people at risk of severe thunderstorms. Hail the size of ping-pong balls and winds as high as 60 mph hammered the region. Multiple tornadoes were reported, including 11 in Illinois, one in Indiana and four in Ohio.8
Source: Washington PostSource: poweroutage.usSnow and heavy rain in the
Northeast
Rain and snow in Pennsylvania, New York and parts of New England affected roughly 50 million people. Gusts of wind up to 53 mph blew through New York State9 and created blizzard-like conditions as heavy rain turned to snow, with a high of 20 inches falling in Brewerton, New York.10
Source: Washington PostSource: poweroutage.us- tornado
- rainstorm
- snow
- blizzard
- wildfire
- 0 – 25,000 Outages
- 25,000 – 50,000 Outages
- 50,000 – 75,000 Outages
- 75,000 – 100,000 Outages
- 100,000+ Outages
people5M30M
One storm wreaks havoc on more than 150 million people
On February 26, 2024, meteorologists warned of a massive storm system set to sweep across the continental United States, beginning with heavy snows in the Northwest.4 The interplay of hot, dry air at the front of the storm and unusually warm, humid air ahead of it sparked and fanned wildfires in the Plains and brewed thunderstorms and tornadoes in the South and Upper Midwest. Temperatures dropped rapidly — by nearly 60 degrees in 12 hours in Kansas City, Missouri, from 73 degrees Fahrenheit in the afternoon to 12 degrees at midnight. On its way out to the Atlantic Ocean, the storm pummeled the Northeast with heavy rain, snow and winds.
The storm takes multiple forms
As the storm barreled across the country, harsh winds, blizzard conditions and fires knocked out power for residents and businesses in its path. That could have left every kind of business, from retail stores to utilities to manufacturers, without the fundamental communications capabilities they needed to operate.
Snow in the Pacific Northwest
More than 5 million people in the Cascade Mountain areas of Oregon and Washington were under winter weather advisories or storm warnings. Forecasts warned of increased snow accumulations at higher elevations, with winds up to 40 mph.5
Wildfires in Texas and the
Great Plains
Red flag warnings for dangerous fire conditions affected nearly 20 million people from Texas to Illinois. At the front of the storm, winds as high as 70 mph, dry air and record high temperatures up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit created ideal conditions for wildfires to start and spread, combining to become the largest wildfire in Texas history.6
Blizzards in the Upper
Midwest
More than 55 million people were included in severe weather alerts as the storm progressed. As the storm system made its way east, heavy snow and high winds prompted blizzard warnings in North Dakota and Minnesota, with winds up to 60 mph, several inches of snow and wind chill temperatures as low as 25 degrees below zero.7
Tornadoes in the Midwest and
South
The storm spun up tornado threats across Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana, with nearly 30 million people at risk of severe thunderstorms. Hail the size of ping-pong balls and winds as high as 60 mph hammered the region. Multiple tornadoes were reported, including 11 in Illinois, one in Indiana and four in Ohio.8
Snow and heavy rain in the
Northeast
Rain and snow in Pennsylvania, New York and parts of New England affected roughly 50 million people. Gusts of wind up to 53 mph blew through New York State9 and created blizzard-like conditions as heavy rain turned to snow, with a high of 20 inches falling in Brewerton, New York.10
Nationwide, rapid response required
When a storm or natural disaster disrupts daily life, getting back online is critical for ensuring safety and security while minimizing any impact on business operations. Network providers need proactive measures to understand when severe weather may be a threat as well as rapid response strategies to recover after a network is affected.
One provider leading the charge is AT&T. On an average business day, AT&T’s global network carries more than 713.6 petabytes of data. To put that in perspective, a single petabyte is one million gigabytes — the equivalent of streaming 167,000 two-hour movies.
To keep its customers — including nearly 2.5 million businesses — connected during and after severe weather, AT&T has invested more than $1 billion in its Network Disaster Recovery (NDR) services since its inception in 1992. These include hundreds of pieces of disaster recovery equipment that can be deployed quickly to help ensure businesses can continue operations, employees can stay productive and customers experience minimal interruptions in service.
AT&T’s disaster response begins with the AT&T Weather Operations Center, in which a team of meteorologists monitors precipitation forecasts and weather conditions across the country to predict when and where a storm or natural disaster may impact the AT&T network. When severe weather strikes — and when possible, in advance of a storm — NDR teams mobilize immediately, with portable equipment including trucks and power generators to restore communications as quickly as possible. During 2023’s Hurricane Idalia, NDR teams set up base camp operations in Florida to deploy where needed and quickly respond to any impact to the AT&T wireless network.
“In a time where the impacts of disruptive weather are increasingly felt, AT&T’s commitment to maintain connectivity has never been more critical. By allocating more than $1 billion into our NDR program since 1992, we’re not just investing in technology — we’re fortifying resilience for the communities we serve. This commitment reflects our understanding of the vital role communication plays during times of crisis, ensuring we’re able to keep communities connected when it matters most.”
Quick, crucial support for first responders, wherever they need it
Severe storms, tornadoes and other extreme weather events can destroy homes, level entire communities and put lives at risk. Every second counts for the first responders when working to respond in minutes and get people the emergency care they need. FirstNet® wireless coverage11 reaches over 99 percent of Americans, which means first responders have exclusive access to increased coverage and capacity when they need it. This helps them support emergencies across the country — from urban to rural and tribal areas.
FirstNet is built with AT&T, in a public-private partnership with the First Responder Network Authority — an independent agency within the federal government. FirstNet is the nation’s only high-speed broadband platform dedicated to serving first responders and those who support them. FirstNet gives priority and preemption to first responders 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with 2.97+ million square miles of coverage, 250,000+ square miles more than the largest commercial networks. The FirstNet Response Operations Group (ROG) — led by former first responders — guides the deployment of the FirstNet deployable assets based on the needs of public safety, coordinating across federal, state, local and tribal agencies with a focus on life safety, incident stabilization and property conservation.
“When a disaster strikes, FirstNet is there. As America's Public Safety Network, FirstNet provides local, state, tribal and federal first responders with the reliable connectivity and mission-centric tools they need to protect and serve their communities.”
As extreme weather events become more common and their impacts more dangerous, having a reliable communications network is more critical than ever for businesses in every industry. A nationwide network must be able to restore communications quickly, reduce risks to business operations and keep first responders connected when it matters most.