As of writing, it has been nearly a month since Hurricane Helene ravaged the east coast, and many schools in affected areas are still closed. Many of these are due to the schools themselves having been flooded and are now unfit for students. Other schools are closed because the overall area is still too damaged, or lacking too many critical services.
Districts haven't been this challenged since the COVID outbreak of 2020-21. Worse, unlike during COVID, the affected areas often lack consistent power or Internet service, so remote learning isn't even an option. Students are losing opportunities to learn, and there's no clear idea of how they will make up for those losses.
Obviously, there's no way for anyone to stop an oncoming hurricane, certainly not a school district. Natural disasters happen on their own terms - they're called "acts of God" for a reason. But is there anything we can learn from this disaster, for improving student safety and educational outcomes?
Early Shutdowns Saved Lives
Fortunately, thanks to modern weather systems like NOAA, we had plenty of warning that Hurricanes Helene and Milton were on their way. School districts were aware of this, and preemptively closed before the hurricanes made landfall.
Good systems of communication are key here. A smart district should invest in systems such as parental notification apps, to make it easier to keep parents informed in emergencies. Have as many options as possible to notify parents quickly when there's an emergency.
Be Ready for Sudden Changes in Storm Strength
One notable aspect of Helene is that it developed from a Category-1 storm (the weakest hurricane) to a Cat-5 (the strongest) in the span of only a day... yet then it lost power almost as quickly, ultimately making landfall as a Cat-3.
Hurricanes' power used to be more predictable, but as global climate change advances, storms will become more erratic. In the future, even if a storm is predicted to be weak, keep a constant eye on reports. It could suddenly become more powerful in a very short time, and you would need to adjust your plans rapidly to compensate.
And when lives are on the line, student safety is paramount. If in doubt, err towards assuming the storm will be stronger than predicted, rather than weaker.
Know Your Own Vulnerability
Is your school's elevation above or below sea level? If there's flooding, will the water drain away from the school or into it? This is becoming crucial information, even in areas which are not traditionally considered at-risk for flooding. Helene ended up hitting areas far enough inland that they didn't consider storm damage as a real possibility.
Again, climate change is going to tend towards making storms more intense, and less predictable. Keep these factors in mind when planning. If your school is at-risk of flooding in a particularly bad storm, have plans in place now to deal with that eventuality.
Give Your Bus Drivers Hazard Training
Ideally, a bus driver should never be driving in a situation where serious storm winds are a possibility - but now, there's really no telling. Be sure your drivers are up-to-date on training and best practices for dealing with heavy storms, as well as other dangerous weather events such as tornadoes or heavy hail.
Drivers should never be caught flat-footed if a surprising weather event happens. Emergency preparedness training leads to better student safety.
If you want to improve communication within your transportation system, and with your students and parents, BusBoss can help! Contact us to learn about our consulting services and technological solutions to modern communications challenges.
Tracking is good for districts, it’s good for students, and it’s good for parents. That makes it a real win-win investment for districts. What arguments do you find compelling, when talking about bus tracking?