Industrial Emergencies Caused by Extreme Wind

Abstract

The paper deals with the effects of extreme storms and tornadoes on industrial facilities and the possible occurrence of emergencies. The paper aims to determine the potential emergency scenarios associated with these events and to learn from them. For this purpose, available data on emergencies were collected mainly from the ARIA industrial accident database and from available scientific articles. The study was focused on incidents caused mainly by forces associated with the action of extreme storms. The collected data have 40 items, which were subsequently analyzed. Most of these items are located in the European Union. The results of the analysis of the available data indicate that the most frequent consequence was financial damage, often caused by structural damage, power outages, and consequent loss of production. Environmental impacts, such as the release of hazardous chemicals, were also significant. The paper includes lessons learned based on the data collected and analyzed.