From Hurricane Dorian on the East Coast to tornados in the Midwest to wildfires and earthquakes in California, the threat of a natural disaster is always present in some parts of the country. And with winter just around the corner, preparing for inclement weather is as much a part of managing a school as planning instruction.

Here are some tips experts recommend to prepare for weather-related issues and how to mitigate their impact on students, teachers and staff.

1. Review and plan ahead
Schools should have emergency operations plans with assessment teams routinely conducting safety audits, singling out high-priority hazards based on weather. Plans should include mitigation, prevention, preparedness and response.

2. Prepare students and teachers for sudden days off
With inclement weather comes the possibility of missed school days and hindrances in the regular flow of instruction. More schools now have 1-to-1 device programs, supported by capital funds, that allow learning to continue even when schools are closed.

3. Prepare school buildings to withstand inclement weather
School leaders in older buildings have to consider whether the facility can withstand a natural disaster. Architect Steve Heureux, president of LPW Architecture, a firm in Montana that works primarily with K-12 schools, said the most important decision a school can make is hiring a firm with expertise in school design and one that doesn’t use a “cookie-cutter approach” for each project.

Read the full article about ways schools can prepare for natural disasters by Naaz Modan at Education Dive.