Hurricane Preparedness 2022
June 1st marked the start of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs through November 30th. As a South Florida business owner, you are probably well-versed in hurricane preparedness and have likely hurricane-proofed your business in the past. Nevertheless, it’s important to review your hurricane preparedness plan each year and make updates as needed.
This hurricane season is expected to be an above-normal season, with the possibility of it being a very active one. An active hurricane season means that there is an increased likelihood of tropical storms and hurricanes making landfall. While it’s impossible to know exactly where and when storms will hit, it’s important to be prepared for the possibility of a hurricane or tropical storm impacting your area. As a business owner, you need to be prepared for the possibility of any form of severe weather and make sure your business can weather the storm, so to speak.
How Can a Hurricane or Tropical Storm Impact Your South Florida Business?
One of the reasons hurricanes make the headlines is because of the devastating damage they can cause. Not only can strong winds and rain destroy buildings, but flooding can damage equipment and inventory. Hurricanes enfold all the things that can go wrong during a natural disaster:
- Flooding
- High Winds
- Power Outages
- Infrastructure Damage
- Transportation Disruptions
- Communication Disruptions
- Data Loss
- Staffing Issues
In the event of a hurricane or tropical storm, all of these things could occur simultaneously, making it difficult for your business to recover. That’s why it’s so important to have a hurricane preparedness plan in place.
How Can You Prepare Your South Florida Business for a Hurricane or Tropical Storm?
There are many steps you can take to prepare your business for a hurricane or tropical storm:
Check Your Business Continuity Plan
A Business Continuity Plan (BCP) is a plan that outlines how a business will continue to operate during and after a disaster. Your Business Continuity Plan (BCP) is vital to keeping your business up and running in the event of a hurricane or tropical storm. Make sure you have reviewed your plan and made any necessary updates. Some key components of a Business Continuity Plan include:
- Offsite backup of critical data
- Data encryption
- Emergency response procedures
Hurricanes and tropical storms can cause significant damage to businesses, so it is important to be well-prepared. Some businesses never reopen after a hurricane or tropical storm, so it is essential to have a plan in place.
Find Out What Your Building Management Office Plans Are
Find some time to meet with your landlord or building manager to review their hurricane preparedness plans and how they will communicate with tenants during a hurricane or tropical storm. Some questions you may want to ask include:
- How will they protect the building from wind and water damage?
- What is their plan for power outages?
- What is their plan for evacuating the building?
- What is their plan for post-hurricane cleanup?
Knowing what your building management’s plans are will help you better prepare your own business for a hurricane or tropical storm. If possible, obtain a copy of their hurricane preparedness plan.
Take Pictures or Videos of Your Offices and Equipment
Make sure you have pictures or videos of your office space and equipment. This will help with any insurance claims if your business is damaged during a hurricane or tropical storm. Before and after photos and videos can be very helpful in proving the extent of the damage. Take some time to take detailed pictures and videos of your office space and equipment. Examples of items you may want to include are:
- Computers
- Servers
- Mobile Devices
- Office Furniture
- Inventory
If possible, store these pictures and videos offsite in the cloud or on an external hard drive. That way, if your office is damaged, you will still have access to your photos and videos.
Document All Emergency & Support Phone Numbers
In the event of a hurricane or tropical storm, it is important to have all the necessary emergency and support phone numbers on hand. Have contact information for your employees, vendors, clients, and suppliers readily available. It is also a good idea to program emergency numbers into your phone so you can easily access them in case of power outages or other disruptions. Having emergency and support phone numbers well-documented will ensure you can stay in communication with your important contacts.
Make Arrangements to Use Other Vehicles of Communication
It is common for multiple communication disruptions to occur after a hurricane or tropical storm. To ensure you can still communicate with your team, clients, suppliers, customers, etc., make arrangements now to use other forms of communication, such as email, text messaging, or even social media. Staying in contact with your team is crucial during and after a natural disaster. So, make sure you have a plan in place to stay connected before a storm hits. This is the perfect time to determine what other methods of communication you will use if your primary method becomes unavailable during this year’s hurricane season.
Do You Need A Hurricane Preparedness Plan?
Are you working on creating or updating your hurricane preparedness plan? The start of hurricane season is the perfect reminder to start preparing your team for the possibility of a hurricane or tropical storm. Taking steps to prepare everyone now can help reduce the impact of a storm and ensure your team is better equipped to respond.
Hurricanes have the potential to cause great damage to coastal areas and their residents. To help minimize potential loss of life and property, everyone needs to understand hurricane hazards and be prepared before a storm threatens. If you need help with the IT aspects of your hurricane preparedness plan, Palindrome Consulting can help. We can help you ensure your data is backed up and secure, and that your systems will be able to withstand any type of disaster.
Contact us today to learn more about our services. Don’t wait until a hurricane is on its way to start preparing your business!