Weather Risks Many Schools Fail to Prepare For

As extreme weather events become more common, schools can no longer afford to treat them as a rare disruption or an issue to address only when the forecast turns threatening. Storms, flooding, extreme heat, high winds, and severe winter weather can put people at risk, disrupt operations, and damage the infrastructure schools depend on every day.

For schools, the key to managing these risks is to build weather resilience into the way we plan and operate. Here are five steps to take to prepare.

1. Examine Your Unique Risks

Chances are, the facilities director, security director, athletic director, technology director, and school leader all have a different picture of the weather risks your school faces. Take time to brainstorm collaboratively about the unique features of your campus and how those translate into risks.

• Are there mature trees close to buildings, over powerlines, or next to major campus thoroughfares?
• Are there areas on campus where water pools or surges downhill during storms?
• Are there facilities, such as canopies or tall lights, that could fall in strong winds?
• Are there roofs where ice or snow could build up?
• How quickly are the roads leading to campus plowed and treated during winter storms?
• Does electrical wiring (particularly in older buildings) have sufficient surge protection?

2. Know Your Insurance Policies

• What does the policy cover?
• What are the coverage limits?
• Are there additional types of coverage the school should look into to best protect itself?
• Where can you access a copy online?

3. Establish Thresholds and Protocols

Define in advance what happens when weather conditions deteriorate. Who monitors conditions? What triggers a delay or cancellation? Sheltering? Evacuation? Who makes the final decision? Who communicates with school constituents?

Clear protocols reduce the pressure of making critical decisions in the moment.

4. Train and Practice

A plan that exists only on paper isn’t enough. Teams need to know what steps to take, and they need to be able to remember those steps during high-stress situations. Run tabletop exercises or drills for severe storms, flooding, extreme heat, high winds, wildfires, or other weather hazards relevant to your location. Rehearsing the response helps people act quickly and consistently.

5. Empower People to Escalate

Perhaps most important, give people permission to speak up.

An employee may notice a developing risk before it appears obvious to others. Faculty and staff should know whom to contact, how to raise a concern, and, importantly, that escalating a safety issue is encouraged, not penalized.

You can’t control the weather, but you can control how prepared your school is when it arrives.