Event Challenge: Our Crew Beat Santa Ana Wind Storm

It was not just another sunny day in California as we were setting up for Bruin Day.
The forecast had mentioned gusty winds. They turned into a full blown Santa Ana windstorm that caused such damages that it made national headlines.

Carolyn Vasi and her crew went into rescue mode to get the job done.

Production Manager Carolyn Vasi: "We are used to these wind events in Southern California but this one turned out to be a lot more severe than forecast. The wind force turned over full trucks on the freeways and oak trees broke like matches. Santa Anas have a way of starting abruptly and ending abruptly. We were in the midst of the setup when it started to blow. Our tents were tossed around like tumble weeds."

Thankfully the event location was not too far from our warehouse. Carolyn dispatched the truck to get the storm gear and the setup for the outdoor event proceeded with only a slight delay.



Carolyn: "We had to make some adjustments to ensure the safety of all attendees. We used extra heavy blocks to tie down the tents and re-enforced the bracing around all tenting. Furthermore we lowered all tent heights a bit, placed desks and chairs inside instead of in front of the tents. Usually the signage is installed above the tents. We lowered all signage to below the tent tops to secure them better. The extra heavy sandbag blocks worked wonders."

Our storm-proof setup worked! Tents, furniture, signage - everything was rock solid
By next morning the winds had diminished and all attendees enjoyed the outdoor event.



This was not the first time that unexpected weather disrupted our work. It seems to be a safe bet to plan an outdoor event in Southern California but we still have to have Plan B.

Wishing you - especially our friends in the tornado and flooding plagued Mid West - a sunny week!

Janet