If You’re Not Early, You’re Late When It Comes To Severe Weather Warnings

Floods, cyclones, tornadoes, wind, hail – there’s no escaping extreme weather. Prepare as we may, people and businesses will find themselves in harm's way. Infrastructure, activities and – most critically – human lives are at risk. However, early warning systems (EWS) can help. These tools incorporate weather forecasts, real-time monitoring and communication systems. They alert people to imminent threats and disseminate response advice and orders, helping to save lives and mitigate loss. Furthermore, recent events demonstrate that hindered rescue efforts due to a lack of EWS may lead to reputational damage.

In February 2023, Cyclone Gabrielle devastated parts of New Zealand, killing 11 people. In the Hawke’s Bay region, an inquest determined that the government had failed to issue alerts in a timely manner. Despite rapidly rising water levels, two people had died by the time an official emergency was declared. In the years since, investigators have concluded that Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence was underprepared for and overwhelmed by an event of such magnitude and that the national emergency management system was inadequate. Now, families of the deceased want Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and Civil Defence held accountable.

Fast forward to 2025, and we see a similar situation play out in Texas. In July, flash flooding killed over 100 people – including 27 children and counselors at a summer camp in Kerr County. Despite accurate forecasts from the National Weather Service, there were limited systems in place to distribute information that might have saved lives, and alerts did not include orders to evacuate. This followed years of discussions about implementing EWS in Kerr County. In 2017 and 2018, the Texas Division of Emergency Management denied the county funding to install warning systems. In 2021, the county overlooked EWS and spent $10.2 million received as part of the American Rescue Plan Act on other projects. In 2024, the Upper Guadalupe River Authority requested funding for EWS, but the state offered only 5% of the required costs. With this history, officials faced criticism that they had not sufficiently prepared for an event like the 2025 floods and did not do enough to respond to the rising waters. As one Ingram City Council member said, “Well, they were obviously thinking about [a flood warning system] because they brought it up 20 times since 2016 and never did anything [about] it…I’m pretty pissed about that.”

A warming planet is bad news when it comes to extreme weather – some perils are becoming more frequent, some more severe, and some both more frequent and severe. Verdantix research shows that firms must incorporate extreme weather events into business continuity planning. For example, EWS help ensure worker safety, which keeps businesses up and running. Reputations are also on the line: when groups fail to communicate potentially life-saving facts, people will want to hold them responsible for unnecessary loss of life. In short, warning systems that can help get people to safety should be part of climate adaptation plans. Increasing access to and uptake of data and tools that monitor, forecast and disseminate hazard information saves lives – and is a win for people, businesses and governments worldwide.