Derecho Devastation Prompts Enhanced Emergency Plans

Image courtesy of Hans Splinter under Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0)License, resized to 700 x 391 pixels.

In August 2020, a destructive derecho with sustained winds of 140-mph slammed parts of Iowa – a weather phenomenon stronger than anything previously experienced within the state.  In fact, some residents had to wait 50 days after the power was restored to regain internet access.  The storm and the destruction left in its wake served as a wake-up call, prompting accelerated efforts to make sure the next derecho is less destructive.

For today’s post, I thought I’d provide a quick rundown of what electric and telecom utilities have been doing within the state to ensure better preparedness going forward.

Improvements Spurred by the 2020 Derecho

Two of the key lessons learned surround the need to stock up on necessary resources and to make them accessible as quickly as possible after the storm passes.  In short, supply shortages exasperated the difficulty addressing the aftermath of the 2020 event.

As such, ITC Midwest, which operates high-voltage transmission lines on behalf of local utilities, updated its inventory planning and added warehouse space locally for storage.  Similarly, Mediacom is adding 2 new warehouses, stockpiling fiber and other materials, to help with disaster recovery.  And there are other examples of this throughout the state as well, including efforts to not only increase access to critical materials, but also to provide access to cash when necessary.

Another area that has seen ramped-up efforts involves remote monitoring technologies.  Although many utilities have monitoring hardware and software in place, including AMI technology, it was impossible to leverage these tools for a period of time after the event passed because cellular connectivity was lost.  As such, initiatives to fortify this connectivity are underway, such as establishing Wi-Fi hotspots in strategic locations.

Other improvements being orchestrated include the gradual process of burying power and telecom lines, updating design criteria for the electric system, enhancing exercises and drills, accelerating the development of renewable energy sources, and updating flood plans, among other things.

There’s no doubt about it, the August 2020 derecho that pounded Iowa was highly destructive, but on the plus side, at least it has been spurring innovation and change to ensure the impact of a derecho in the future is less substantial.