Utilities Keep Millions Informed With KUBRA Solutions as Hurricanes Hit Florida

This year’s hurricane season has already claimed the lives of almost 300 people and upended the lives of millions across the Southeastern United States. Their destructive paths destroyed homes and businesses and caused significant damage to roadways, bridges, and power infrastructure. The growing severity and frequency of severe weather like this reinforce the critical role utilities play in informing the public about a storm’s impact and their restoration efforts. 

The Devastation of Debby, Helene, and Milton

With a month left in storm season, Florida has already tied a record nobody wanted to reach. Three hurricanes have made landfall over the state in a year, which has happened only five times since 1871. In early August, Hurricane Debby battered Florida's Gulf Coast, delivering punishing rains and at least two dozen tornadoes to coastal communities. In September, Category 4 Hurricane Helene brought 140 mph winds to Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. More than 230 people lost their lives, and damages are estimated to be $47 billion. But Mother Nature was not finished with Florida. Less than two weeks later, another Category 4 hurricane hit the Florida peninsula. Hurricane Milton spawned at least 41 tornadoes and is estimated to cost more than $50 billion. With little time to recover from one storm to the next, these regions continue to face significant challenges. 

Keeping the Lines of Communication Open

Effective communication is critical to ensuring the safety and preparedness of communities in times of crisis. Utilities' unwavering commitment and efforts to keeping their customers informed and secure are never more evident than during a severe storm. Below, we highlight some key statistics from the recent hurricanes, showing how our utility partners used KUBRA solutions to enhance customer service and engagement throughout the storms.

Here is the measurable impact of our utility partners’ communication efforts over 15 days amid recent hurricanes:

• 23.36 million Storm Center™ map views, enabling proactive visibility of power outages. 
• 40.06 million notifications were sent through Notifi^®, continuously updating customers on developments like restoration efforts.
• 320,000 new registrations for outage notifications, highlighting the value of the information being dispatched.

These numbers underscore the pivotal role of innovative and responsive communication systems and strategies during severe weather events.

Furthering Our Commitment

At KUBRA, we are committed to assisting communities in recovery and rebuilding efforts. To reinforce our commitment, KUBRA will donate $10,000 to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

We understand the critical role utilities play during such events. While not directly on the front lines, we witness the immense challenges these events bring to our utility partners. We always look for ways to support utilities’ efforts to improve preparedness through innovative solutions and proactive support. Storm Center empowers utilities and their customers by enabling real-time outage information and our new Severe Weather Layers can display hurricane and wildfire paths. These capabilities contribute to creating a comprehensive assessment of the situation, allowing those impacted to plan accordingly. Additionally, we create resources, like our Storm Preparedness Checklist, to equip utilities and service providers with the knowledge and tools necessary to prepare for, mitigate, and recover from storm-related disruptions. 

Through these initiatives, KUBRA aims to make a meaningful contribution to helping utilities create a safer, more prepared future for all.