InfraGard Quarterly Meeting March 22, 2013 Jennifer Stark, Meteorologist In Charge National Weather Service Pueblo, CO

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1 Planning for Weather Hazards InfraGard Quarterly Meeting March 22, 2013 Jennifer Stark, Meteorologist In Charge National Weather Service Pueblo, CO

2 Eleven Billion-dollar weather disasters in 2012

3 Twelve billion-dollar weather disasters in 2011

4 Specifics on billion-dollar disasters Statistics maintained by NOAA s National Climatic Data Center U.S. has sustained 144 billion+ dollar disasters since 1980 Of the 11 disasters in 2012; 7 were severe weather related, 2 were tropical storms, and 2 were year-long drought and wildfires Economic losses for Sandy and the drought are the two biggest drivers for 2012 and losses are still being calculated NCDC estimates that 2012 will surpass 2011 in terms of aggregate costs The greatest annual loss was 2005 ($187.2 billion, CPI adjusted to 2012 dollars) Sources for the data include: the National Weather Service, FEMA, US Dept. of Ag, and other US govt. agencies, state and regional climate centers, media reports, and the insurance industry

5 Colorado and Wyoming look like low risk areas right?

6 Colorado in Hail Alley

7 Colorado's Most Costly Hail Storms With the exception of the May 22, 2008, Windsor tornado and the hailstorm that hit Pueblo on July 29, 2009, Colorado s ten most costly hailstorms were centered in the Denver Metro area (which makes sense, because that s where the largest concentration of property in the state is located). *2012 estimated cost calculations based on the Consumer Price Index. Date Location July 20, 2009 July 11, 1990 June 6-15, 2009 June 6-7, 2012 June 13-14, 1984 July 29, 2009 October 1, 1994 May 22, 2008 July 13, 2011 June 8-9, 2004 August 11, 1997 May 22, 1996 Denver Metro Denver Metro Denver Metro CO Front Range Denver Metro Cost When 2012 Dollars Occurred (Millions)* (Millions) $767.6 $823.7 $625.0 $1.1 Billion $353.3 $379.1 $321.1 $321.1 $276.7 $613.1 Pueblo $232.8 $249.8 Denver Metro $225.0 $349.5 Windsor $193.5 $206.9 $164.8 $168.7 $146.5 $178.5 $128.0 $183.6 $122.0 $179.0 CO Front Range Denver Metro Denver Metro Denver Metro

8 Hail Damage

9 Tornadoes

10 Tornadoes

11 Windsor, CO tornado

12 Windsor, CO tornado 11:26 am May 22, mile long path, up to a mile wide at times EF3 damage near the Missile Silo Park west of Greeley and to homes and businesses in eastern Windsor One fatality, ~20 injuries Damage to 850 homes, nearly 300 homes destroyed $1M in damage to Poudre Valley REA infrastructure

13 Tornadoes in the mountains?

14 Tornadoes in the mountains? Yes!! A much bigger threat in the mountains is lightning!

15 Colorado Lightning

16 Have you looked at your homeowners insurance bill? According to the Denver Post dated 10/7/2012 Some consumers along the front range will get double digit percentage increases on their premiums. The Windsor tornado in 2008 was the most costly tornado in state history $193.5 million in insured losses $1.4 billion in damages due to 3 hailstorms in 2009 making 2009 the most costly year for Colorado insurers Insurers note that a severe hailstorm lasting minutes can generate much larger claims than a forest fire burning for days. Look for split deductibles one for wind/hail damage and one for everything else. Wind/hail deductibles may be a percentage of the home s value ie $300,000 with a 2% deductible for wind/hail damage = $6,000 deductible regardless of repair costs.

17 Notable Colorado Wildfires Largest wildfires in CO history: Hayman Fire ,114 acres, 133 homes High Park Fire ,284 acres, 259 homes, 1 person killed Last Chance Fire ,000 acres, 11 structures* Waldo Canyon Fire ,247 acres, 346 homes, 2 people killed *Colorado s most destructive wildfire Lower North Fork Fire ,000+ acres, 27 homes, 3 people killed Fourmile Fire ,000+ acres, 169 homes Missionary Ridge Fire ,145 acres, 56 homes, 1 firefighter killed

18 Flash Flooding post-wildfire is a big concern

19 Waldo Canyon Flash Flooding Significant threat to infrastructure, homes, tourism, traffic and people!

20 Winter Storms Back to Back snowstorms in Dec Drifts as high as the rooftops blanketed homes and farm buildings; 12 to 36 inches of snow had fallen during the storm, heaviest across the southeast counties. Drifts were measured at 10 to 15 feet deep, and up to 18 feet deep east of Sheridan Lake in Kiowa County. Thousands of head of cattle were stranded in the deep snow, and ranchers lost many of their herds, right in the midst of calving season. Despite valiant efforts by ranchers and the Colorado National Guard, hay dropping from military helicopters was not sufficient to save many of the lost cattle. Many longtime ranchers and farmers said that the late December storms of 2006 were worse than the October 1997 blizzard and as bad as any storm in memory.

21 Drought Impacts Midwest drought in 2012 was the most severe and extensive since 1956 Higher prices on beef, pork, poultry and dairy Impact on retail prices are expected to occur in 2013 Severe or greater drought impacted 67% of cattle production and 70-75% of corn and soybean production

22 Why the continued increase in extreme events? - Increasing US population - Changes in demographic trends - Growing infrastructure threats - Increased reliance on technology - Higher property values - Conversion of rural land to suburban land - Overlap in economic sectors in the US economy

23 What can I do to be Weather-Ready? Have a plan Situational awareness How will I get information about weather hazards (warnings/alerts) in real time? Exercise the plan tabletop or live drill What are the strengths and weaknesses of the plan? Have I covered everything?

24 Have a plan What are the most likely weather hazards in my area? How long will a weather hazard last? Winter storms ~hours to a day or two, could have more than one Severe thunderstorm, tornado, flash flooding ~minutes to several hours, with days/weeks of recovery - Flooding and wildfires ~ 12 hours to several days Where will I be when this occurs? What is my plan if I am home, at work, driving, in the community? What if I am separated from my family? Go to:

25 Situational Awareness Information for you

26 How do I get real-time information about weather hazards? Several reliable methods choose more than one NOAA All Hazards Radio broadcast 24x7 directly from the NWS TV choose your favorite local station WEA Wireless Emergency Alerts via cell phone providers (blizzard, flash flood, tornado). Is my cell phone WEA capable? Reverse 911 Register your home phone and cell phones through your county Several apps and private vendors

27 Test/Exercise your plan Train personnel; clarify roles and responsibilities Reinforce knowledge of procedures, facilities, systems and equipment Improve individual performance as well as organizational coordination and communications Evaluate policies, plans, procedures and the knowledge and skills of team members Reveal weaknesses and resource gaps Comply with local laws, codes and regulations Gain recognition for the emergency management and business continuity program What is your plan for recovery?

28 Have I covered everything? Difficult to cover every possible scenario Of note for businesses: Do I know how to contact or locate my staff? Will a weather disaster somewhere else affect us locally? (cascading impacts) Can I plan for redundancy in my operation? Can I restore critical infrastructure quickly? Can I store back up materials off site? Other considerations hazmat events, non-weather emergencies, communication outages

29 Preparedness Information for you

30 StormReady America is the most severe weather-prone country on Earth. Average of 100,000 thunderstorms of which 10K are severe; 5K floods; 1K tornadoes; and an average of 2 landfalling hurricanes each year. StormReady program will not make you storm proof, but it will arm you with communication and safety skills necessary to keep you safe during the next event. When Seconds Count, StormReady Communities are Prepared

31 StormReady

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33 Contact the NWS Jennifer Stark MIC x 642 or jennifer.stark@noaa.gov