Automated severity-based risk scoring for ice storms and freezing rain

A computer system comprising:

• a plurality of data sources;
• a computer-based ice storm risk calculation system;
• and
• a plurality of computer-based user terminals,
• wherein the plurality of data sources, the computer-based ice storm risk calculation system, and the plurality of computer-based user terminals are coupled to one another for communication via a network,
• wherein the computer-based ice storm risk calculation system comprises:
• a computer-based processor;
• and
• a computer-based memory coupled to the computer-based processor,
• wherein the computer-based processor is configured to execute instructions stored in the computer-based memory to perform the steps comprising:
• receiving historical data regarding a plurality of past ice storms from a first one of the data sources, wherein the historical data comprises, for each respective one of the plurality of past ice storms, data that indicates:
• a size of a geographical region that was impacted by the ice storm;
• a thickness of accumulated ice that resulted from the ice storm;
• and
• qualitative data reflecting human observations of the ice storm's impact;
• calculating an ice storm severity index based, in part, on the size of the geographical region that was impacted by the ice storm and the thickness of the accumulated ice that resulted from the ice storm;
• and
• validating the calculated ice storm index with the qualitative data reflecting the human observations of the ice storm's impact,
• wherein the computer system is configured to make available at one or more of the computer-based user terminals a gridded geographic map with a plurality of grid cells, wherein each respective grid cell has a corresponding risk level that is viewable or accessible from the computer-based user terminal.