Meteorological Effects on the Damage Control and Remediation During the Disaster of 14–17 March 2013

Abstract

Disasters of various origin can occur almost everywhere in the world, and protecting ourselves against them is an essential task of mankind. In case of weather-related catastrophes the readiness of the disaster management service as well as its coordinated cooperation with other services and authorities is of outstanding importance. Extreme weather conditions have been dealt with frequently in recent years, still professionals face numerous problems when such weather event affecting the whole country happens. It was the case in the period of 14–17 March 2013, too. Even though the Országos Meteorológiai Szolgálat (Hungarian Meteorological Service, hereinafter OMSZ,) issued accurate information about the upcoming extreme winter weather days earlier, both the authorities and the population were unprepared for the situation. Troubles with traffic as well as with public services presented themselves countrywide. Following such an event, after finishing remediation and restoration works, it is indispensable to analyse lessons learned. This article aims at pointing out how the conditions in mid-March 2013 developed, with a focus on the meteorological causes. Another goal is to present how changing certain parameters can affect work activities.