StormGeo > Case Studies > IoT in Disaster Management: A Case Study on Food Lion's Proactive Emergency Plan

IoT in Disaster Management: A Case Study on Food Lion's Proactive Emergency Plan

Technology Category

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - Backup & Recovery
Sensors - Utility Meters

Applicable Industries

Retail
Transportation

Applicable Functions

Logistics & Transportation

Use Cases

Leakage & Flood Monitoring
Search & Rescue

Services

System Integration

About The Customer

The customer in this case study is Retail Business Services, the services company for six major East Coast grocery brands in the United States, including Food Lion. They are responsible for ensuring that the grocery stores under their management are prepared for major storms and can reopen quickly post-storm. They aim to reopen their stores within 24 hours of a storm impact. To achieve this, they need clear weather intelligence and a proactive emergency plan. They trust StormGeo to provide the necessary weather forecasts and intelligence.

The Challenge

Retailers, particularly grocery chains, face a significant challenge when a major storm is announced. They must ensure their shelves are stocked to meet the community's preparedness needs, while also ensuring they can reopen quickly post-storm. Food Lion, a grocery chain, aims to reopen its doors within 24 hours of a storm impact. Retail Business Services, the services company for six major East Coast grocery brands in the United States, including Food Lion, had to devise a plan to achieve this 24-hour goal. The challenge was to have clear weather intelligence and a proactive emergency plan in place. The plan needed to include which stores may need generators and which associates in the areas surrounding the impact zones can be called upon to help reopen stores.

The Solution

The solution to the challenge was to have an emergency plan in place well before a storm is announced. The plan included drills that run through multiple emergency scenarios so the business and employees are prepared for what happens before, during, and after a natural disaster, including outages or stoppages. The plan also included an early warning system to save not only the business but the lives of the employees. The plan was constructed with considerations for both immediate and long-term actions, knowledge of surroundings, alternate forms of communication, and professional weather services. StormGeo, a global provider of weather intelligence and decision support solutions, was trusted to provide the necessary weather forecasts and intelligence. The plan was put in writing, practiced, and reviewed to give employees a sense of security.

Operational Impact

The operational results of the proactive emergency plan were significant. The plan ensured that employees and customers were safe and that the business could reopen as quickly as possible following a disaster. The plan also gave employees a sense of security, knowing that there were measures in place to protect them and the business. The plan also ensured that the supply chain was not significantly disrupted, as the plan included considerations for how outages in surrounding grids would affect the business and how weather events elsewhere might affect the supply chain. The use of professional weather services like StormGeo ensured that the business had accurate and timely weather forecasts and intelligence, which was crucial in making informed decisions during a disaster.

Quantitative Benefit

Reopening of stores within 24 hours of a storm impact, minimizing business downtime.
Preparation for 11-13 named storms in 2019, with 4-5 reaching hurricane intensity.
Successful reopening of all but two of The Home Depot’s stores in Katrina’s path within a week of the storm.