Hurricane Harvey and Irma have put storm preparedness top of mind.  Timur Colak, CEO of digital billboard manufacturer Lightking, spoke at the September 2017 IBOUSA meeting on LED Billboards and storm preparedness.  Insider asked Timur to summarize his talk.

Timur, what parts of the country are at risk for major storms.

If you look at the picture below you can see that about two-thirds of the United States is as risk for storms.  Hurricanes are the biggest risk in the coastal south and east coast.  Tornados are the biggest risk in the Midwest.

What should an operator do to prepare digital billboards for a storm?

• Prior to the storm, keep power on in order to run public service announcements.
• Power off the digital billboard at main panel or using Smartlink prior to the storm.  A storm caused power outage and the resulting surge when power comes back can damage the boards electronic components.  Live power presents an electrocution risk if a billboard comes down.
• Do not remove the LED face.  This isn’t practical or safe.
• Remove spare parts boxes and make sure attachments are secure.
• Power up the billboard as soon as possible after the storm if electricity is available and the structure is sound in order to be able to provide public service announcements.

What design features are important if I am purchasing a billboard in a storm prone area?

• Your billboard should have the highest-rated structural framing.  At least Category C if you are more than 600 feet from open water.  At least Category D if you are within 600 feet of open water or in coastal or tornado-prone areas.
• Look for a design which minimizes wind load.  Lightking digital billboards are built with a flow through design which creates less wind stress than a solid face billboard.
• Make sure your monopole and foundation is built or reinforced to handle winds to 175 miles an hour.

You can receive a copy of Colak’s powerpoint by contacting him at timur@lightkingoutdoor.com, 954-536-1462.

[wpforms id=”9787″]

Paid Advertisement