This summer has already seen significant severe weather events—and the storms are not over yet. Due to climate change, these storms are coming with more frequency and severity. More than ever, it is critical to accurately predict these severe storms to ensure public safety.

Schneider Electric’s MxVision WeatherSentry Online is a weather forecasting information solution that has been designed exclusively for public safety and emergency management professionals. The system provides tools that every city needs to plan, prepare, and mitigate its response to severe weather.
 
MxVision WeatherSentry Public Safety Edition’s storm tracking tools show exactly where severe weather is, where it is headed over the next 30 minutes, and what time it will reach locations in its path. This feature combines two top-of-the-line tools: lightning monitor and interactive storm corridor.

The system’s lightning monitor is an essential forecasting tool—delivering real-time lightning information rather than predictions, which often do not provide notification of lightning until after a touchdown. The lightning manager monitors strikes as they approach, sending automatic alerts via e-mail or text message when lightning strikes within a pre-determined radius of a prescribed location.

The interactive storm corridor provides an updated and detailed report of what elements the storm contains—heavy rain, hail, wind, or tornado activity—and a timeline on when the storm cell will be impacting certain cities. It provides a precise estimated time of arrival of when a storm will reach each city.  

Florida’s Volusia County has been named “lightning capital of the United States.” Larry Lahue, who is the plans coordinator in the Volusia County Emergency Management Operations Center, relies on Schneider Electric’s weather alerting service not only for its timely forecasts, but for its real-time mobile and e-mail alerts. “I use [MxVision WeatherSentry Mobile] quite a bit to keep up with what’s going on when I’m away from my computer,” says Lahue.

As storms increase in frequency and intensity, public safety is a growing concern across the country. The weather forecasting solutions of MxVision WeatherSentry are essential for protection against severe weather.

Paul Thomas has been with Schneider Electric for nine years, and currently holds the position of Inside Sales Manager. In this role, Paul is responsible for Public Safety, Sports and Construction Weather Sales teams.
 
This video shows how  the MxVision WeatherSentry smartphone app provides critical weather information on the go.