Before, during, and after a natural disaster strikes, operations sites should have a plan in place to execute a comprehensive and flexible response to protect staff and critical assets. The growing consensus in the scientific community points to an escalation in the frequency and intensity of severe weather events due to climate change. News reports provide an almost daily reminder about the wide range of natural disasters that have the potential to affect communities. In the U.S., the annual cost of dealing with the effects of natural disasters has doubled in the past two decades and averages in the tens of billions of dollars. In 2013, seven severe weather events in the U.S. led to losses exceeding $1 billion each, according to the National Climate Data Center. As costs associated with more frequent severe weather continue to rise, investment in hazard mitigation and emergency planning will prove to be financially beneficial.
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