Hurricane Irene Case Study

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Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee delivered a devastating one-two punch to The Verizon Wireless the eastern United States in late summer of response 2011. Making landfall over North Carolina’s • Bolstered cell sites and network Outer Banks on August 27, Irene swept along facilities with generators and the Northeast, causing more than 40 deaths. backup batteries Hundreds of thousands of people were • Ensured adequate fuel through evacuated along the coast in anticipation power outages of the storm. Nearly 8 million homes and • Activated six portable cell sites businesses lost power for multiple days. The in areas impacted by flooding next week, Tropical Storm Lee moved up • Deployed six Mobile Command Hurricane through southern and northeastern states, Centers and Wireless Experience causing 13 deaths. Both storms produced vehicles to multiple areas Irene case major flooding, devastating small towns that were impacted, from the and destroying homes and businesses, Carolinas to Pennsylvania study particularly in areas of Pennsylvania, New • Donated mobile devices to local, Jersey, New York and Vermont. Through hurricanes and state and federal agencies floods, the power to stay connected “Our wireless network performed very well throughout the storm, Mike Maiorana, president of the Washington/ outperforming our Baltimore/Virginia region. competitors in A powerful network stays powered several markets.” Case Study Hurricane preparation takes place long

Dave Heverling, Northeast Network before hurricane season begins. During the Vice President past 10 years, Verizon Wireless has invested more than $65 billion nationwide in network coverage, capacity and reliability, including Verizon Wireless responded to the needs of the backup power systems that are critical customers and first responders, a multi-state during storms. Before Irene, Verizon Wireless effort that lasted long after the storms. “Our activated multiple crisis management teams network performed well when our customers in anticipation of the storm and the network needed it most, and our people were there teams staged mobile generators and other when our customers needed it most,” said

Case Study 1 “From your leadership equipment in strategic locations. “We One particularly hard-hit area was northeast in restoring cell service made sure our fuel vendors were out there Pennsylvania. With grounds already saturated in affected areas to checking that our generators had full tanks and Tropical Storm Lee dumping even more your expansive support of fuel, including our cell sites,” says Network water, levees threatened to break and flood of our cleanup and Operations Coordinator Deirdre O’Brien. Wilkes Barre. Verizon Wireless contacted recovery efforts, your city officials and offered to dispatch a 53- dedicated involvement That preparation made the difference. “Our foot Mobile Command Center near the Red wireless network performed very well Cross shelter. A smaller 16-foot mobile has exemplified the throughout the storm, outperforming our satellite trailer was brought in through nearly commitment and competitors in several markets, with particular impassable mountain roads to Loyalsock, compassion we need to advantages in Connecticut, Rhode Island Pennsylvania, where landline communications rebuild and restore our and Vermont,” said Northeast Network Vice were down and National Guard personnel communities in these President Dave Heverling. needed communications support. When difficult times.” flooding prevented the Pennsylvania Supporting first responders, public Department of Transportation’s access to Governor Andrew Cuomo safety officials and communities their Mountoursville offices to get wireless When the North Carolina Emergency devices for their staff, Verizon located and Operations Center (EOC) in Kinston lost activated 30 available devices from its closest power and landline phone service the day communications store in Williamsport. “Our Hurricane Irene hit, Verizon Wireless stepped focus was making sure we responded to any in to provide and position five mobile hotspots type of issue. Our efforts were not only for so first responders could use their critical Web application to coordinate relief requests. Later, Verizon Wireless brought in 4G LTE Cells on Wheels to bolster wireless coverage “During emergencies for emergency workers, also providing 40 we run to a crisis; it’s 4G LTE mobile hotspots and 20 phones for built into our DNA. Our National Guard and other emergency workers. emergency response Verizon Wireless National Account Manager teams and program Earl Struble camped out in his truck outside performed very well.” the EOC headquarters for two nights to make sure workers received all the necessary Gabe Esposito, Corporate Security, Business Continuity/Disaster support. “We have an instinct to run to an Recovery Director emergency,” he said. “We can help save lives and that’s the bottom line.”

2 our customers, but for all who lived in the area,” said Christopher Robinson, associate director of sales operations.

Parts of upstate New York were also severely flooded. A Cell on Light Truck (COLT) was activated in Prattsville, New York, within 24 hours of a request from Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office, as well as another COLT in nearby Margaretville. In a letter to Verizon Wireless, Governor Cuomo wrote, “From your leadership in restoring cell service in affected areas to your expansive support of our cleanup and recovery efforts, your dedicated involvement has exemplified the commitment and compassion we need to rebuild and restore our communities in these difficult times.”

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