Article
When the Storm Hits: How Organizations Communicated Through Winter Storm Fern
When Winter Storm Fern hit last week, it didn’t just bring snow and ice — it triggered a rapid wave of decisions. Winter storms don’t arrive in a single dramatic moment. They creep up: a forecast that keeps getting worse, a flurry of “are we still on” texts, stocking up at the grocery store, planning for the inevitable…
Then, suddenly, the storm hits – and decisions need to be made quickly.
Do we close the office or delay opening? Cancel services? Reschedule appointments? Tell residents to move their cars before the plows arrive? Most importantly: how do we reach people fast enough so that nobody gets stuck on the roads?
That’s the part of the storm that you won’t see on radar maps: the communications rush. But it’s there, and you want to be ready for it.
Winter Storm Fern: By the Numbers
During Fern, One Call Now customers sent a flurry of alerts. Over the course of 4 days, over 7.9 million messages were delivered across voice calls, text, and email. From Friday through Sunday alone, 5.4 million messages were delivered.
The numbers are big, sure. Yet, what they really represent are thousands of urgent, human moments – people trying to keep other people safe.
Winter Storm Messaging: A Play by Play
During a storm, mass messaging becomes critical. It isn’t one message. It’s a sequence: closure, updates, logistics, safety, reopening. It’s about getting the right information to the right people at the right time.
1. The first message is always: “Don’t come in.”
You have likely lived through it. The forecast comes in, and.. you need to consider the morning commute. At this point, the question isn’t “Is it snowing?” It’s, “Will my people be safe on the roads tomorrow?”
That first message should be simple and direct. Make it clear: stay put.
During Fern, one call example read:
“Winter Storm ALERT (ABC Org): Sun, Jan 25 - all offices will be closed tomorrow, Mon, Jan. 26 We will keep you posted for further updates.”
It gives people enough notice and sets the expectation that more information is coming.
A school message did the same thing, but with the extra detail families always need—what about events?
“Winter Storm ALERT (Johnson Middle): Sun, Jan 25 – All school and district offices will be closed tomorrow, Mon, Jan 26. Evening events are also cancelled until further notice. Stay safe!”
No guessing. No last-minute decisions. Parents can plan ahead.
2. When conditions turn dangerous
As Fern intensified, the cold became the emergency. Organizations had to shift from planning to protection. Messages then become less about routine closures and more about safety.
One retirement home sent a message focused on being emergency-ready: flashlights, heaters, pipes, and power outages.
Another sent a clear directive:
“ALERT (Sunnyvalle): Dangerous temps Jan 25. Keep homes at 68 or up to protect pipes. Stay indoors. Stock food and medication. If you have an emergency call us.”
Winter storms can’t be handled with a single update. People need reminders, specifics, and sometimes, especially in elder care, reassurance that someone is available to help.
3. The “What to do next” message
The most useful messages in a storm don’t stop at what’s happening. They include the next step.
A non-profit customer of ours sent:
“ALERT (ABC Org): Due to the upcoming winter storm, we will be closed on Mon, Jan 26. Please call us on Tuesday to reschedule your appointment.”
That’s what good communication looks like: decision + next action.
Churches faced a different challenge: how can we still bring people together if we must cancel in-person services? Online services are often the solution:
“ALERT (ABC Church): All in-person services are cancelled for tomorrow. There will be an online service at 9:30 am with worship and sermon. God Bless.”
Again, this example offers a next step.
4. After the storm: logistics matter
Then, there comes the moment when it’s all about the logistics. It’s operational, small, specific, but often wildly time sensitive.
Property managers know this one by heart: plowing the snow so that residents can get out. And, unfortunately, snow removal schedules operate on their own time.
One text from the weekend gets right to it:
“ALERT (ABC Townhomes): Our plow truck will be in the parking lot at 1:30 pm today. Please move your vehicles to allow for snow removal.”
It’s easy to underestimate a message like this, that is until you’ve lived through the alternative: half the lot still buried, tempers are flaring, and everyone blaming everyone else.
The Part Nobody Plans for — Except us
Here’s what makes storm weekends tricky: the moment an organization needs to message everyone is often the moment they realize they haven’t used their system, like One Call Now, in a while.
We see this without fail during every major weather event. Yet it’s precisely what our customer service team is here for. During Fern, customers called in who hadn’t logged in for months – even years. They forgot their passwords. They needed help getting set up.
That’s where One Call Now support comes in.
Our US-based customer service team is always-on, 24/7/365. With employees who have first-hand experience of what’s happening on-the-ground – because they’re there.
During the weekend, we handled over 61 after-hour support calls related to Fern. We were there, we picked up, because we understood the urgency. It’s the sense of duty that our team has.
This is where “support” becomes more than a feature. It’s about being the person on the other end of the line, who understands why the message must go out now—and who can help make it happen.
Winter Storm Fern was a reminder that in severe weather, communication doesn’t just report what’s happening. It shapes what happens next. It tells people when not to drive. It prevents families from guessing. It keeps residents from getting trapped behind a snowbank (or a plow schedule). It helps care teams protect the people who rely on them most.
And in a weekend where nearly eight million messages went out, the real headline is simple: the right message, at the right moment, to the right people, offers peace of mind and keeps your community safe.
