Arkansas Children’s Inc., a health care system dedicated to caring for Arkansas’ 700,000 children, faced a significant challenge in managing weather-related emergencies. With facilities located across the state, the organization was particularly vulnerable to tornadoes, which consistently ranked among the top 10 threats in their annual hazard vulnerability analysis. Their existing inclement weather plan primarily focused on tornado response, leaving a gap in preparedness for other weather events such as winter storms and severe thunderstorms. The organization also had to be prepared for an influx of patients evacuated from areas impacted by tropical systems. The decision-making process during weather threats, which affected the safety and comfort of patients, families, and employees, required coordination across multiple departments. The emergency management team struggled with predicting the impacts of severe weather, often spending late nights monitoring weather apps and radar for potential threats. The lack of expertise in interpreting and applying weather data from disparate sources was a significant source of stress.

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.

In late August 2017, Hurricane Harvey hit the South Texas coast, causing unprecedented flooding and destruction. BBVA Compass, a U.S. banking company with nearly 25% of its 649 branches located in South Texas, was significantly impacted. The hurricane affected employees' personal lives, closed administrative buildings and branches, and knocked ATMs offline. As one of the top 25 largest U.S. commercial banks, it was crucial for BBVA Compass to maintain operations with minimal interruption to serve all communities and clients. Business disruptions, regardless of their size, can have long-lasting and negative effects on both employees and clients if not properly planned for. Therefore, business continuity planning was critical for BBVA Compass to ensure employee safety and business survival during such disasters.

The Rowegians, a team of four Norwegian women, embarked on the world's toughest rowing challenge, a 3000 NM Atlantic crossing. The challenge, which typically lasts around 60 days, is fraught with numerous difficulties, including unpredictable weather conditions, sleep deprivation, and physical exhaustion. The team needed to optimize their route, taking into account historical and forecasting data to ensure their safety and success. However, the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean and the unpredictability of its conditions posed a significant challenge in tracking and optimizing their route. The Rowegians required a reliable solution that could provide real-time tracking and weather forecasting to assist them throughout their journey.

Arab Maritime Petroleum Transport Company (AMPTC) was in need of an effective solution to manage the environmental performance of its fleet and comply with evolving Greenhouse Gas (GHG) regulations. The recent introduction of the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) posed significant challenges to tanker owners like AMPTC. The company was seeking a solution that could help it navigate these sustainability regulations with ease and achieve long-term reductions in CO2 emissions. AMPTC conducted intensive market research and analysis to find the most efficient solution for its fleet of tankers.

The International Maritime Organization has set a goal to reduce annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships by at least 50% by 2050 and carbon intensity by 70% by 2050 as compared with 2008. With new requirements addressing GHG emissions expected to enter into force on 1 January 2023, shipping companies need to start planning for decarbonization now. Many shipping companies realize the economic and reputation benefits that sustainable operations bring as well. Evaluating, monitoring and reporting their sustainability improvements has become more important than ever. However, achieving these goals requires effective strategies and tools to measure and monitor vessel performance and condition.

International Paper, a leading producer of fiber-based packaging and pulp, operates a facility in Wilmington, North Carolina, a region frequently threatened by hurricanes and tropical storms. These severe weather events pose significant risks to business operations and employee safety. The Wilmington plant, which employs close to 600 people and produces 2,200 tons of fluff pulp daily, has experienced disruptions due to storms like Hurricane Michael and Hurricane Florence. Accurate and timely weather forecasting is critical for the company to ensure logistics planning and personnel safety. Prior to implementing a solution, International Paper relied on reports from power companies and general media, which often lacked the necessary details for making informed operational decisions.

Atlantic City Electric, Delmarva Power, and Pepco, part of the Exelon family of companies, provide energy services to over two million electric and natural gas customers. These companies are faced with the challenge of managing their operations during severe weather conditions, particularly during thunderstorm season. Thunderstorms can cause significant damage to utilities, leading to outages that impact not only the utility companies but also schools, businesses, emergency services, and the economy at large. The companies rely on StormGeo for meteorological support services throughout the year, but the need for support intensifies during thunderstorm season. When severe weather strikes, these utilities must position their crews to respond to storms, prioritizing the safety of employees, customers, and community members.

T-Mobile, the third-largest wireless network operator in America, is responsible for approximately 107,000 mobile towers across the US and Puerto Rico. Ensuring network reliability during natural disasters, particularly wildfires, is a significant challenge. Wildfires have caused major impacts each year, destroying thousands of homes and businesses and costing insurers $13 billion in 2020 alone. When wildfires strike, it's crucial that communication lines stay open. T-Mobile's 'prepare-first' strategy required a solution that could provide accurate and timely information about wildfires to minimize service disruptions and ensure the safety of their assets.

The case study revolves around the challenge of ensuring business continuity and effective emergency management in healthcare organizations. The primary responsibility of managing these aspects often falls on individuals who already have other roles within the organization. The key challenge is to get senior management on board with the importance of emergency planning and business continuity. This is often difficult as senior leaders may not fully understand the difference between emergency management and business continuity. Emergency management is about reducing vulnerability to hazards and coping with disasters, while business continuity is about ensuring operations and core business functions are not severely impacted by a disaster or unplanned incident. Another challenge is to understand the business drivers and determine which parts of the business need to be brought back online first in the event of a disaster.

In the fall of 2017, a container transportation company, a client of StormGeo, was planning a transatlantic voyage from Halifax to Bremerhaven in northern Europe. The Master of the vessel had planned to sail via the English Channel due to pilotage considerations, intending to follow a route via 40N 40W en route to the Channel. However, this route posed significant challenges. It would have exposed the vessel to significantly heavier head conditions associated with a lower-latitude storm system. This would have forced the Captain to increase speed and thus fuel consumption to maintain the scheduled arrival time. Additionally, the harsh conditions could have resulted in damage to the vessel and its assets, as well as posing safety hazards to the cargo and crew.

Norwegian electricity distributor Elvia faces significant challenges in maintaining the stability of their power grid during severe weather conditions. These conditions, which include strong winds, heavy snow, ice on power lines, and lightning, often lead to power outages and interruptions. The unpredictability of these weather events, particularly lightning, adds to the complexity of the situation. Elvia's challenge is to anticipate these weather-related threats and prepare accordingly to minimize the impact on their power grid. The company's ability to respond effectively to these threats is critical to its operations and service delivery. Therefore, Elvia needed a reliable way to predict and prepare for severe weather conditions that could potentially disrupt their power supply.

Medxcel, a healthcare management company with facilities across the U.S., faced a significant challenge during Hurricane Irma. The company had to make critical decisions about whether to evacuate three of its facilities in Florida, including a nursing home and two hospitals. Local authorities advised evacuation of one hospital due to the anticipated storm surge and flooding. However, evacuating a hospital is a complex and costly process, requiring significant time, resources, and potentially causing distress to patients. A single patient evacuation can cost thousands of dollars, and a full-scale hospital evacuation can cost hundreds of thousands, if not millions. Furthermore, the decision to evacuate must be made at least 48 hours before a hurricane's landfall, a time when the exact path and impact of the hurricane may still be uncertain.

The offshore wind energy sector is looking towards floating wind turbines as the future of renewable energy. Norway, a country with a strong background in the oil and gas industry, is leading the way in this development. However, the implementation of floating wind turbines presents several challenges. The depth of the ocean off the Norwegian coast necessitates the use of floating turbines, which are more complex and costly to develop than their fixed counterparts. Additionally, the environmental, technical, and economic challenges surrounding these structures are significant. These include the potential hazard they pose to bird migrations, the difficulty of maintaining structures far out at sea, and the high costs associated with developing and mounting these massive steel structures.

In the face of severe weather events or other emergencies, organizations often rely on external parties for support. However, choosing the right partners who can deliver under pressure and understand the specific needs of the organization is a significant challenge. This was the situation faced by Texas Children’s Hospital, one of the largest pediatric hospitals in the country. The hospital needed reliable third-party vendors who could provide actionable insights and support during emergencies. The challenge was not only about the contractual obligations of these vendors but also their ability to understand the hospital's needs and deliver when required. The hospital needed partners who could be trusted to provide accurate information, especially during severe weather events, and who had a national presence and could draw on a wide range of resources.