ContactRelief Tweeting Outage Reports As Harvey Becomes a Cat-4 Hurricane

Hurricane Harvey keeps intensifying and is now a Category 4 storm. The National Hurricane Center says that sustained hurricane force winds are now spreading onto the middle Texas coast. Air Force Reserve Reconnaissance aircraft data indicate that Harvey has maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 km/h).

As the storm bears down on the Texas coast, the ContactRelief Disaster Decision Engine and its team of Decision Analysts will be monitoring the situation. The team will record the effects of the hurricane on the surrounding communities as the hurricane makes landfall so that our subscribers can better understand the full impact of the storm and can make judgments on when to resume contact after the storm passes. Hurricane Harvey is expected to stall just inland, intensifying the effects of the storm.

The damage from Hurricane Harvey is now being felt. ContactRelief Decision Analysts estimate that approximately 50,000 people are already without electrical power. In addition to monitoring for power outages, ContactRelief monitors suspension of package delivery by the USPS, FedEx and UPS. By knowing where power is out or delivery services are suspended, ContactRelief subscribers can better understand the impact of the storm on consumers.

Unlike hurricanes which form in the Atlantic, consumers had little time to prepare for such a powerful storm as now Category 4 Hurricane Harvey. On Thursday at 10:16 CDT, ContactRelief recommended to suspend contact with consumers in the affected areas until further notice. By suspending contact with consumers, businesses demonstrate their corporate social responsibility in allowing the consumer time to ensure the safety of those around them without undue distractions. Businesses following this strategy also maintain compliance with their corporate care policy and reduce the risk of adverse actions or complaints.

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