Farm Resilience for Weather Emergencies

In Ohio, the likelihood of experiencing weather impacts or emergencies on the farm is elevated. Ohio is often the battle ground between cold, Canadian air and a humid, tropical flow out of the Gulf. Thunderstorms can occur every month, and on average, Ohio experiences 22 tornadoes per year. This number varies considerably though, with zero tornadoes reported in 1988 to 74 recorded in 2024 (US Department of Commerce, 2025). Ohio also experiences other weather hazards such as high wind events (e.g., derechos), hailstorms, flash-floods, and heavy snowfall (Ohio Emergency Management Agency, 2024). All these events can have negative impacts on farm operations, impacting the health and livelihoods of farm operators and their families.

Having a strong approach to preparing for and responding to emergencies is one of the most important commitments of a farm operator. A farm emergency preparedness plan protects customers, employees, livestock, and property, while helping to recover and resume daily operations after an event. Each emergency brings a unique set of challenges, and preparedness needs to be considered. A valuable resource, “All-hazards preparedness for rural communities” (prep4agthreats.org/Assets/Factsheets/All-Hazards-Preparedness-for-Rural-Communities-Book-Cover.pdf), (Center for Food Security & Public Health, Iowa State University, 2016) provides detailed steps and details on writing plans for different emergency scenarios to ensure the safety of workers, family, pets, and businesses. In-depth information on preparing an emergency plan for agritourism is available at “AgritourismReady” (hu.osu.edu/agritourismready) (Ohio State University, 2021). Additionally, the Ohio State University Extension Agricultural Safety and Health Program (agsafety.osu.edu) and the Extension Disaster Education Network (extensiondisaster.net) offer abundant resources on emergency response and recovery among other topics. The following information highlights important considerations to remember when preparing any farm emergency preparedness plan.

Establish a Support Team

A key part to a robust farm emergency preparedness plan is to build a reliable support team. These partners help identify risks, keep essential contacts up to date, and speed recovery when an emergency occurs. Each person on the team has a specific role in your emergency plan and serves as a direct point-of-contact based on the type of emergency. This ensures that no matter what happens, you have a plan in place, and knowledgeable people are ready to respond quickly and effectively. A diverse emergency support team may include members who are helpful with farm operations, safety, communications, medical services, and other important areas. Bringing together different perspectives strengthens your farm's ability to handle a wide range of emergencies. Below are examples of the types of contacts one should consider when creating their emergency support team. Depending on the type of emergency, each team member has a unique role in your operation and serves as a direct contact. Table 1 provides a starting point for building your emergency support team and contact list. Use it as a guide and adjust it to fit your operation. Once completed, your emergency contact list should be kept in a place that is easily accessible to all employees. Download a printable version of the “Emergency Contacts form” (go.osu.edu/farm_emergency_contacts).

• Local Fire Department. Contact the Fire Chief and Emergency Medical Services Coordinator, ensuring coordinated responses for fire and ambulance responses.
• Sheriff and/or Local Police. In a weather emergency, they can help with crowd control and evacuation decisions. They can also direct traffic, remove unsafe customers, and conduct investigations.
• County Emergency Management Agency (EMA). EMA typically offers a range of public safety and disaster response services. They can help coordinate disaster response efforts, gather resources, and ensure communication between safety agencies.
• Health Department. Depending on your operation and the role of the individuals involved, the health department can help manage health risks, including assisting with sanitation, water testing, and food safety concerns. They can also be a valuable food-safety training partner.
• Insurance Representative. This person is critical to emergency planning from a business continuity perspective. They can also assist with documenting damage, guiding the claims process, understanding coverage, and evaluating recovery options.
• Attorney. This person can provide legal guidance on liability, help navigate regulatory compliance, support in managing legal claims, and provide necessary forms such as incident report forms.
• Utility Representative. Utility representatives can respond to disruptions in power, water, and gas services and ensure the prompt and safe repair of utilities, preventing further infrastructure damage and liability.
• Equipment Dealer(s). This person can assist with damaged farm machinery, providing replacement equipment and technical support to restore operations.
• Neighbor(s). Often weather emergencies affect multiple properties. Having an established community of neighbors that can help respond and recover after a disaster is a key to success.

Document All Business Processes

Every farm depends on important processes—planting, feeding, irrigation, equipment use, and product handling—that keep operations moving. Identifying these daily, seasonal, and critical activities help you plan for continuity, prioritize recovery steps, and protect the systems that sustain your business.

Establish a Continuity Plan

• Develop your support team and familiarize the local first responders with your operation. They can help you plan and will have additional resources to get you started.
• Make sure you have all the emergency numbers needed. Identify several accessible places to store the numbers.
• Plan a temporary location for livestock, machinery, chemicals, and other supplies if your company is forced to relocate. Store extra supplies off-site.
• Have a plan for alternate communication with employees, customers, and suppliers during recovery.
• Define and document employee leadership roles and responsibilities during and after an emergency.

Backup Computer Files and Other Records

• Develop a process for accessing electronic records from remote locations.
• Keep a backup of all tax, accounting, payroll, and production records, employee contacts, and customer and supplier data files, in an accessible but off-site location.

Contact Insurance Agent

• Annually review your insurance coverage.
• Consider additional coverage for “all-hazard” situations (e.g., flood, hail damage).
• Keep copies of critical documents, such as insurance policies, incident reports, finance records, and receipts of major purchases and repairs.

Prepare Employees

• Inform all employees of the business emergency plan and review it on a regular basis through formal training programs and inclusion in the operational handbook.
• Document each employee’s specific role during an emergency and ensure they are trained to follow the plan and know how to access and use emergency contact information.
• Ensure that staff have at least two reliable methods of staying informed of changing weather conditions, such as a NOAA weather radio with Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) or mobile apps.
• Ensure emergency exits are appropriately marked, and that employees know the exit locations and escape routes for each building.
• Identify and clearly mark safe areas around the farm for “shelter-in-place” situations such as severe weather.

Review Plan

• Review the emergency plan annually and after any significant weather event.
• Address any gaps you discover.
• Update emergency management material (e.g., employee manuals, training, signage, and postings).
• Stay up to date on weather emergencies in your industry.

Conclusion

Weather emergencies in Ohio are not a matter of if, but when. Preparing today builds resilience and protects your farm, your livelihood, and the people and animals who depend on it.

For more information, visit AgTech Innovation Hub: Climate Resilience (climate.osu.edu/agtech-innovation-hub) or contact Ag Weather & Climate at wilson.1010@osu.edu.

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the AgTech Innovation Hub grant 2024-006-01.

References

Center for Food Security & Public Health, Iowa State University. (2016). All-hazards preparedness for rural communities: A guide to help rural agriculture communities prepare for threats to their families, farms, animals and businesses (1st ed., 3rd printing).
prep4agthreats.org/Assets/Factsheets/All-Hazards-Preparedness-for-Rural-Communities-Book-Cover.pdf

Ohio State University, College of Food, Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, Department of Food, Agricultural & Biological Engineering. (2021). Agritourism Ready: A one-stop shop for preparing your emergency management plan.
u.osu.edu/agritourismready

Ohio Emergency Management Agency. (2024). 2024 State of Ohio hazard mitigation plan.
ema.ohio.gov/mitigation-recovery/mitigation/mitigation-planning/state-of-ohio-hazard-mitigation-plan/01-state-of-ohio-hazard-mitigation-plan

US Department of Commerce (2025, January 24). Yearly tornadoes since 1950. National Weather Service.
weather.gov/iln/tornado_climatology