Blizzards are inescapable − but the most expensive winter storm damage is largely preventable

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Michel Bruneau, University at Buffalo

(THE CONVERSATION) Winter storms can easily become billion-dollar disasters as the snow piles up on interstates and collapses roofs and power lines. Yet, while canceled flights and business interruptions can’t be avoided, what turns a snowstorm into a disaster often can be.

I have worked on engineering strategies to enhance disaster resilience for over three decades and recently wrote a book, “The Blessings of Disaster,” about the gambles humans take with disaster risk. Snowstorms stand out for how preventable much of the damage really is.

Stay off the roads

The easiest storm costs to avoid involve human behavior, including driving during snowstorms.

Successfully plowing the snow off a highway requires repeated passes to prevent snow from accumulating to the point where it piles up faster than it can be removed. However, that simple concept breaks down when an accident blocks the lanes, and traffic – including commerce and emergency vehicles – grinds to a halt.

When it takes snowmobiles to reach stranded drivers, the wait can be...