While fleet managers have an abundance of information at their fingertips from fleet management companies, fuel management companies, and telematics providers, there are still some additional resources available to help them prepare for natural disasters.

Want to know what the greatest natural disaster risks are for your location, or any of your locations? 

Want to track inbound weather that might threaten a jobsite or one of your facilities? 

What if you want to help your employees and drivers be better prepared for a natural disaster?

Those answers are easy to find online and, for the most part, are provided by the federal government. 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recognizes 18 natural hazards. For each of those hazards, FEMA provides extensive data that any fleet manager can sort to create a detailed report of the risk profile for one or even multiple locations

The 18 natural hazards, as outlined by FEMA, are:

• Avalanche

• Coastal Flooding

• Cold Wave

• Drought

• Earthquake

• Hail

• Heat Wave

• Hurricane

• Ice Storm

• Landslide

• Lightning

• Riverine Flooding

• Strong Wind

• Tornado

• Tsunami

• Volcanic Activity

• Wildfire

• Winter Weather

FEMA National Risk Index

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides the National Risk Index Map as a tool for individuals, businesses, governments, and communities to evaluate risk from 18 natural disasters. 

It leverages available source data for natural hazards and community risk factors to develop a baseline risk measurement for each United States county and Census tract.

How to use it:

• Click Explore the Map

• Enter your location of interest by city, county, or address

• This generates a Risk Index Overview for that location

• Use this to review which natural disasters are most likely and see Hazard Type Risk Ratings for each of the 18 natural disaster types.

• Create Report – A button located at the lower right allows you to create a report, which can be shared or printed for use in disaster planning.

• Compare to Other Counties – This will generate a report that compares multiple locations. For example, if you have fleet offices in multiple locations, this allows you to gain a single-pane view of risk factors across your entire operation.

This is a powerful tool that assembles the data you need to determine which natural disasters can potentially impact your fleet and provides insights into the level of risk associated with each.

You can explore the National Risk Index Map on FEMA’s website.

National Weather Service Radar

The National Weather Service is a valuable resource for evaluating current and impending weather risks. A great starting point is to visit the NWS Radar webpage directly. 

The main landing page provides an overview of the U.S. map. However, when you enter a location in the search window, the map displays warnings by county. Alerts are provided in a drop-down menu for the selected area.

A good approach is to watch the weather that is heading into your area before it arrives. 

Suppose you are under a tornado watch in your location, meaning conditions exist for a possible tornado to develop. But, to the west of you, a neighboring county is under a tornado warning, typically meaning rotation has been detected on radar.

On the NWS Radar page, you can see the details of the warnings for that community and watch the storm’s track to know when it is heading your way. While many apps and smartphone features will sound an alert when your area is issued a warning, using this map allows you to see warnings in other adjacent areas and explore the details, providing an advanced look at potential threats that may reach your location.

National Hurricane Center

The National Hurricane Center and Central Pacific Hurricane Center, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, are a resource when understanding the risk and threat of hazardous tropical weather. 

The purpose of each, according to the federal website, is:

“The NHC mission is to save lives, mitigate property loss, and improve economic efficiency by issuing the best watches, warnings, forecasts, and analyses of hazardous tropical weather and by increasing understanding of these hazards.”

“The CPHC issues tropical cyclone warnings, watches, advisories, discussions, and statements for tropical cyclones between 140 degrees west longitude to the International Dateline.”

The centers provide estimates of the number of named storms each year with analysis. 

When storm season kicks into gear, the National Hurricane Center’s website provides a Seven-Day Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook with a map and details. The maps, which include Atlanta, the Eastern Pacific, and the Central Pacific, also provide a two-day outlook.

The NHC also provides a series of preparedness articles, which can be found on the center’s website.

Preparing Disaster Kits for Home, Office & Drivers

There are several online options available for those seeking guidance on assembling disaster kits and supplies. While most offer tips and lists for disaster kits for homes and families, fleets may want to assemble appropriate kits for drivers who may be stranded in unique situations, like extreme heat, extreme cold, or winter weather.

Ready.gov: Tips from Homeland Security

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security provides a website, Ready.gov, as a resource for disaster education and preparedness. Included among the resources is a downloadable set of Hazard Information Sheets.

The site also provides downloads such as “Know Your Alerts and Warnings,” “Are You Ready? Guide,” and “Document and Insure Your Property.”

Also, a checklist of essential items is available to help individuals prepare a disaster kit that can sustain them for several days. Suggested items include food, water, a first aid kit, a local map, cell phone chargers, and more.

Other online sources for disaster kit planning include:

• American Red Cross website

• Get Prepared, Government of Canada website

• British Columbia’s emergency management website

• U.S. states' emergency management agencies’ websites

Develop Crisis Communications Plans

Another aspect of preparing for natural disasters is developing crisis communications plans.

According to Ready.gov, “The crisis communications plan is an important component of a business’ preparedness program. A business must be able to respond promptly, accurately, and confidently during an emergency in the hours and days that follow.”

In advance, you should plan methods of communicating with: 

• Employees

• Customers

• Suppliers

• Management

• Government officials and regulators

Contact information for each category should be compiled in advance and accessible during and after a disaster. Ready.gov provides additional information on communication planning.