Iowa summers have very unpredictable weather, which can get pretty intense. This season often has weather events like tornadoes, floods, and thunderstorms.
The team at ICN has a lot of experience handling these kinds of situations. We’ve put in a lot of effort to reduce risks, develop strategies, and bounce back when disasters happen. In this article, we’ll look into how these natural disasters impact our network and how we handle them.
Tornadoes
Iowa ranks sixth in the United States for the most tornadoes? We average 46 tornadoes every year!
As true Midwesterners, we watch the skies when the sirens go off. We also have alert systems and teams keeping track of reports for good reason. Tornadoes can generate winds exceeding 250 mph. This can wreak havoc on buildings and vehicles, and pose a huge risk:
- Cable Cuts: High winds can break overhead cables. This can send debris crashing into buildings, causing damage. It might even pull trees out of the ground, which can harm or cut underground lines.
- Power Loss: Flying debris can hit utility poles and make them fall down, leading to big power outages.
- Complete Devastation: Buildings, cars, and equipment can be ruined. Lighter buildings can get swept away. Both situations mean that complete rebuilds are needed instead of just simple fixes.
How is our Network protected?
Our network design includes multiple routing options to reduce single points of failure. If a route in Iowa is compromised, we can redirect traffic until repairs are completed. We strategically bury our fiber in key areas that can protect against surface winds and debris. During tornadoes, our teams work with cities and communities to assess the damage.
- ​💡 Did you know? During the 2018 Marshalltown tornado, ICN rerouted the fiber connection for Grinnell Regional Medical Center in Toledo, which experienced an outage when the tornado touched. In addition, the State Public Defender was able to relocate with our Managed Voice service while still taking calls and conducting business from a remote location.
The ICN is dedicated to assisting customers displaced by disasters. We quickly relocate our telecommunications equipment and, when necessary, fiber optic cables to restore services at temporary sites, and have done so many times when disaster strikes.
Thunderstorms and Lightning
You can't have lightning without thunder, and Iowa thunderstorms are no exception. Every year, there are about 20-25 million lightning strikes nationally, and each one can get as hot as 45,000 °F. This is not great for our equipment, but it can also lead to other problems.
- Power Surges: Lightning strikes can cause surges that overload connected devices and equipment.
- Outages: Major power outages can disable network components like power supplies and switches.
- Damaged Defense: When outdoor enclosures get hit, it can weaken their structure and equipment, making them vulnerable to the elements.
How is our Network protected?
As the critical infrastructure for Iowa, we understand how much these storms can have an impact. Last year, when lightning hit a customer's facilities, we worked around the clock to replace the equipment and restore service as quickly as possible.
We also use a strong grounding system for all our network equipment and enclosures, which helps to redirect electrical surges. All of these systems are equipped with uninterrupted power supplies (UPS) and generators to ensure proper protection against electrical spikes, keeping connections reliable even during storms. Additionally, we provide 24/7 local NOC support to address any outages and problems, ensuring that our customers have assistance when lightning strikes.
Floods
Did you know that 90% of all natural disasters involve flooding? This is particularly accurate for Iowa, especially considering the well-known 1990 floods and again in 2008, which caused significant destruction in the region. These floods caused extensive damage, as just one inch of water can severely damage infrastructure. Flash floods can generate walls of water up to 20 feet high, posing a risk to infrastructure and even our underground fiber optics. Such situations can result in various problems, including the following:
- Water Ingress: Water can corrode the cable's coating and even damage the core glass if seals are compromised.
- Debris: Flooding can carry large amounts of debris that can damage or break fiber optic cables, both aerial and underground.
- Access Risk: contaminated water, landslides, deep water pressure, and several factors can complicate and delay repairs.
How is our Network protected?
When floods are in the forecast, we use resources such as the National Weather Service flood gauges, monitoring systems for our locations, and our on-site teams who carefully watch for rising water levels.
- Did you know? ​💡 During the 2008 floods, ICN equipment was lost or damaged at impacted customer locations. Members of the ICN team stepped up and dealt with issues as they became apparent and planned, when possible, for events they could anticipate. Flood-related customer issues were given top priority in reestablishing or relocating lost Network services.
We will remain alert and prepared to address any outages, restore services, and support Iowa when the waters rise.
Heatwave
Iowa summers can see temperatures soar to 90°F, with the highest ever recorded reaching 118°F! While less dramatic on the surface than a tornado or flood, the impacts of a heatwave can devastate equipment and impact our network in several ways:
- Equipment stress: Uncooled spaces can cause overheating in switches, routers, and transceivers.
- Material expansion: High temps can cause the casing around fiber to expand/contract, leading to lose connections and wires.
- Increased energy use: Maintaining optimal equipment temperatures becomes challenging, straining power supplies and cooling units, risking failures.
How is our Network protected?
We tackle the heat with high-quality climate control systems in our outdoor cabinets, along with continuous monitoring for any outages. Our technicians are quick to respond, whether it's to check, fix, or swap out overheating gear.
- ​💡 Did you know? We support over 1,500 sites with HVAC components, which can be monitored remotely. We have environmental alarms, smoke & heat sensors, & cooling equipment. We have generators at approx. 106 sites and incorporate large battery backups at 300 sites.
Critical Infrastructure for all Iowans
Iowa's weather can be really unpredictable. As Iowans, we know that severe weather can strike at any moment. Tornadoes, floods, thunderstorms, and heat can all have an impact on our services and, in the worst-case scenario, damage our equipment and infrastructure. Although we cannot prevent every issue from occurring, we have reliable procedures in place to keep our network operating, as well as redundancies that maintain vital connections throughout the state.
The ICN is the critical infrastructure keeping Iowans connected and communicating. This is why we take the weather so seriously. We work hard to be consistently aware of the risks and understand what to do if something goes wrong. Our local NOC support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to support our customers during severe weather and to continue serving Iowans to the best of our ability.