How do Communities Prepare for Tornadoes, Weather, and Storms?

by BidPrime Research and Marketing

Over the past weekend, I was fortunate to have an assignment which took me to the University of Alabama. On Thursday, the uneventful drive in from Birmingham was bordered by tall, majestic trees, a sight mostly foreign to those of us here in Texas. I was immediately struck by the beauty of the corridor between Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. Upon reaching Tuscaloosa, we headed directly for campus and I quickly discovered the University of Alabama is a vibrant, absolutely gorgeous jewel tucked in the heart of Tuscaloosa.

Over the course of my visit, the University of Alabama and town of Tuscaloosa proved to be full of friendly, welcoming people, who are quick to wear, display or proudly exclaim, "Roll Tide". The rumors are true: the fine folks of Tuscaloosa love, and support, their Crimson Tide! Oh, and Dreamland. Trust me on that one.

Sorrowfully, a month ago marked five years since a deadly, violent EF4 tornado roared through Tuscaloosa on April 27th, 2011. While it's impossible to expect that the pain, and many of the scars, of that horrific day would totally disappear, it was abundantly clear how this city, these people, were able to return most things back to as close to normal as possible. I could easily sense there is considerable strength, an amazing degree of pride, within the borders of Tuscaloosa.

Over the years, I've also had a couple of opportunities to conduct business, while visiting the University of Oklahoma. Just to the north of Norman, Oklahoma, stands the city of Moore, Oklahoma. During my visits and research, I had the opportunity to drive through and stop in at Moore a number of times. Not unlike Tuscaloosa, Moore has more than their share of affable, hard working people, proud of their community and neighbors.

Moore is also known to be situated in what is known as "Tornado Alley". Back on May 20th, 2013, a destructive EF5 tornado blasted through Moore. In its wake, this tornado left 24 people dead. Part of a terrible sequence of events, in its history, Moore, like Tuscaloosa, has been hit by a number of other devastating tornadoes as well.

Some will recall, the city of Joplin, Missouri, was hit by an EF5 tornado less than a month after the tornado in Tuscaloosa. The Joplin tornado resulted in 161 deaths, and close to $3B in destruction. This past weekend, there was a remembrance for the victims of that horrible tragedy. So sad.

Do you know what to do in case of a tornado? Here is one of many resources.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, April-June are when we historically see the most tornado activity throughout the United States. Recently, Christopher Mele, reported in The New York Times, how many are still using the "old school", but effective technology of sirens to aid in public safety efforts. Here is Mr. Mele's article.

We have previously reported on a number of relevant topics:

'Mass Notification and Alert Systems Experiencing Dramatic Growth in Public Sector'

'How are NG911 Systems Being Used by City, County, State, and Fed Governments?'

Late last week, Samuel Stebbins reported in 247 Wall St., "Nearly 3,000 people have been killed in the United States in the last five years because of weather-related events and conditions." In the article, Mr. Stebbins lists the following as "7 States With the Most Dangerous Weather":

  • Alabama
  • Missouri
  • Nevada
  • Wyoming
  • Arkansas
  • Oklahoma
  • Mississippi

Beginning with June 2013, there have been 835 purchase requests, submitted by state, local, and federal entities, for tornado, weather and storm-related equipment, services and solutions.

A review of our BidPrime database revealed the following relevant bid request/RFP data.

Tornadoes, Weather, and Storms...

Sample Active Bids/RFPs

Tornadoes, Weather, and Storms

Call us to discuss the bid requests and to ask about the bid documents (BidSpec Direct). Our number is 888.808.5356, or visit BidPrime. You can also sign up for a free, zero obligation trial.