Tornado Strikes Town; No Lives LostWhen a violent tornado moved through the center of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on February 10, 2013, a quiet Sunday afternoon, AccuWeather Enterprise Solutions (AES) provided its clients with clear, actionable information well before the National Weather Service (NWS).

Our warning, issued at 4:47 for our clients in the City of

Hattiesburg, warned of a potential tornado from 5:05pm until

5:45pm. The tornado reached the first client location at 5:17pm.

The 18-minute lead time from 4:47 to 5:05pm – an exclusive

feature of the warnings issued by AES – provided our clients

with an essential interval where they can prepare for the arrival

of the storm. The advanced warning allowed them to shelter

their people, conduct an orderly shutdown of critical systems,

and transfer operations to backup locations. No lives were lost,

despite widespread damage to property.

By contrast, the warning from the NWS wasn’t issued until ten

minutes after the AccuWeather warning. And the NWS warning

went into effect immediately, so users did not know how much

time they had until the tornado’s arrival.

AccuWeather was also able to provide instant notification

that serious damage had occurred because of our use of the

new “dual-polarization” radar, which identifies debris lofted

by the tornado (see illustration).

When extreme weather occurs, only AccuWeather provides

precision storm warnings tailored to your enterprise’s exact

needs and specifications. Call us today to learn how to use

weather to make your business more profitable and efficient.

After all, the next storm may already be on the way.

AES:HATTIESBURG ©2013 AccuWeather, Inc.Contact us today at: 814.235.8600 or sales@accuweather.com.Visit us at: enterprisesolutions.accuweather.com.

Blue area on new “dual-polarization” radar

shows lofted debris

Photo: Dr. Beverly Smallwood, Hattiesburg, Mississippi