Podcast: Great State of Innovation - Weather Forecasting & Hurricane Season

It's that time of year again. As severe weather events caused over $145 billion in damage in 2021, StormGeo innovates to keep businesses and Texans safe.

Hurricane season is here!

Over the last 100 years, 40% of hurricanes in the Gulf have hit Texas. The latest storm to do so was Harvey in 2017, an event that has many Texans still recovering to this day. As we enter this season, it's important to look for innovative technologies and solutions to prepare companies and families.

For residents and companies located on the Gulf or by the coast, the time to vigilantly prepare is now. As Texans gear up for the inevitability of a hurricane, TXi caught up with Don Shelly, managing director of StormGeo's Houston office, to provide insight into weather intelligence and what Texans can do to secure their homes and businesses.

Weather Is Flooding Bottom Lines

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in 2021, severe weather events caused $145 billion in damage. Furthermore, research shows that severe weather disrupts the operation and financial performance of 70% of businesses worldwide.

StormGeo is a leading provider of data science and weather intelligence, serving a worldwide customer base with advanced solutions through its global 24/7 forecasting desks, innovative weather intelligence solutions, and R&D team. The company primarily helps the healthcare, manufacturing, oil & gas, retail, energy, and utility industries monitor and prepare for severe weather events.

While every business can use StormGeo's insights, why do they initially seek out the company?

"If it's business, it's ultimately about money. Right? And so, they are coming to us normally to avoid the loss of something, which formally translates into losing money. Or they're coming to us with the understanding that hopefully, whatever we might be able to do for them will gain money, and for a lot of our clients, it's both. And so, the way that our clients come to us and find us and what we do, it normally is [because] they've experienced some form of business pain that they have identified had something to do, and most likely did have something to do, with weather."

StormGeo's Innovative Weather Forecasting Solutions

As a leader in global weather forecasting, StormGeo's solutions provide immense value for various clients through its "StormGeo Vortex," a customized platform designed to meet the industry-specific needs of its clients. StormGeo Vortex offers weather forecasting, site-specific monitoring, alerts to protect clients' assets and employees, and decision guidance in minimizing weather risks and delays through decision support from StormGeo's team.

Another unique aspect of the Houston-based company's solutions is its Hurricane and Typhoon forecasting system. This system provides consistent alerts and advisories for all global tropical basins. The hurricane forecasting team is credited with creating the Hurricane Severity Index (HSI), Threatened Regions from Active Cyclones (TRAC), and Timeline Trigger Reports to help businesses gain insight into the potential impacts of a coming storm.

On the ground level, StormGeo's Warnings & Alerts focus on severe land-based weather and help businesses be informed about dangers from lightning, flooding, tornadoes, wildfires, and severe winter storms.

The Houston company is at the heart of the two most vital trends of the 21st century: climate change and digitalization. StormGeo is leading the way with its solutions powered by innovative weather intelligence and strategy.

"Our platform combines deep domain expertise with cutting-edge data science to enable better business decisions in weather-sensitive operations. Whether onshore, offshore, in the air, or at sea, StormGeo's seven forecast centers around the world are available 24/7 to give our clients the support they need when they need it most."

Hear more from Don Shelly and StormGeo on The Great State of Innovation Podcast.