Create and Edit a Storm Event

A storm event defines the actual restoration timeline of a storm that occurred in the past. You can then include this historical information in your calculations when creating an estimated restoration timeline (ERT) for a new storm model.

Storm event information may be imported from the Oracle Utilities Network Management System (NMS) or another third-party outage management software. Your Oracle Delivery Team will work with you to configure the import.

On this page:

Create a Storm Event

Tip: Be as accurate as possible about the storm event when you create it, since outage information is loaded based on the details you enter. If no outage information is loaded, then try updating the details you entered.

  1. Sign in to Storm ERT.
  2. From the Storm ERT dashboard, click Create Storm Event.
  3. On the Create Storm Event page, complete the required fields. See List of Storm Models and Events for more details about these fields.
    • Name: Add a distinct name for the storm event. For example, you can create a name that includes a month and year, such as Maggie June 2022.
    • Start Date: Set the date and time when the storm entered the service territory.
    • Cut-Off Date: Set the date and time after which new outages were excluded from the storm event.
    • End of Restoration (optional): Set the estimated date and time when you expect all outages will be fully restored. The date and time should be later than the Cut-Off Date. Even though this field is marked optional, it is highly recommended, since it is a way to indicate a definite end to the restorations even if there are still a few outages left. Refer to About Setting the End of Restoration for more details. You can set this field later if you want. For example, you can set it one or two weeks after the storm model has been approved and most of the outages have been restored.
    • Type (optional): Choose the type of storm. It is recommended that you choose a type so that you can more easily search by it later, or make comparisons to other storms of the same type.
    • Level (optional): Choose the severity level of the storm. The meaning for each level varies by utility due to regional differences in weather patterns, so consult your internal documentation if you need guidance on which level to choose. (For example, in some regions a few inches of snow is considered a major snow storm, while in other regions it is considered minor.) It is recommended that you choose a level so that you can more easily search by it later and make comparisons to other storms.
    • Exclude Single Customer Outages: Select this option if you want to exclude any outages that affect a single customer rather than multiple customers simultaneously. It is recommended that you select this option if you want to exclude outliers that may skew the results of a storm ERT.
  4. Click Continue.
  5. Select one or more zones in your service territory that were affected by the storm event. Affected zones are listed under the name of the operating company.

    Note: If there is more than one operating company, then you can only select affected zones for one of the operating companies. For example, if you select a zone for Operating Company A, you will not have the option to select zones for Operating Company B.

  6. Click Create Storm Event.

The storm event is created and added to the Storm ERT dashboard in the Historic state. Outage information from your connected outage management system is loaded into the storm event based on the start date, cut-off date, and zone information you entered. If no outage information is loaded, then it is probably because one of these pieces of information is incorrect and needs to be updated.

About Setting the End of Restoration

The End of Restoration field is an optional field which allows you to specify a date and time when all outages were restored, and after which no remaining outages are counted. You can set the field when you first create the storm model or at a later time, such as one or more weeks after the storm has passed.

It is highly recommended that you set this field even if there are a few outages left which haven't been restored. Sometimes those outages are outliers, and sometimes they are results of errors in the data. If the End of Restoration is not set, and the storm has a few outages left, then the storm will be considered never fully restored.

A storm that is never fully restored can have several potential negative effects in the application. One effect is that the storm will skew the predictions of other storm models whose calculations are based on it. A second effect is that the Workplan tab of another storm model could display an inordinately large number of crew shifts for any similar storm that was never fully restored, since the application will assume that outages from such storms still need to be addressed. A third effect is that the storm restoration chart could display a graph that continues on indefinitely.

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Edit a Storm Event

You can edit the details of a storm event to improve its usefulness and accuracy. You may also need to edit a storm event if no outage data loads into it after you create it. For example, you may need to adjust the start date, cut-off date, or zone information to ensure the right historical information is loaded.

  1. Sign in to Oracle Utilities Analytics Insights.
  2. Click Explore, Storm, and then ERT.
  3. From the Storm ERT dashboard, search for and click the name of the storm event you want to update.
  4. In the storm event view that opens, click Edit.
  5. Make any edits to the Storm Event Details and Affected Zones pages.
  6. Click Save.

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