Resources

• Be educated. Stay ahead of any natural disaster by tuning in regularly to the National Hurricane Center, especially during hurricane season. Other resources to have bookmarked include the National Weather Service, American Red Cross, and Mostyn Law Firm. Heed all evacuation warnings and instructions from authorities, and complete our Storm and Hurricane Preparedness for Businesses checklist beforehand.

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• Make sure your business is covered. It would be forward-thinking to ensure that you have flood insurance and windstorm coverage built into your business insurance policy.

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• Back up your sensitive data. To ensure that your business does not get set back even more by a violent storm, make sure to have a backup plan to safeguard all sensitive information. Make documents and create copies, or save information onto external workspaces, such as a cloud service.

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• Create a disaster plan. Decide a course of action for your business in the event of a natural disaster. Plan ahead by building it into your budget and create backup plans for your necessary business functions. 

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• Inspect and repair your building regularly. If you make sure your building is up to standards on a regular basis, you ensure that it’s more likely to withstand extreme conditions during a natural disaster. 

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• Stock up on emergency supplies. Obtain radios, batteries, and flashlights, and keep your cell phones charged so that you are prepared for various outcomes, including power outages. Have safe food and water stored at your businesses so that your team can eat and drink in the event that they are stuck at the office during a storm. 

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• Obtain emergency contact information for employees. Ask your employees for their emergency contact info in advance so that you or they can get in contact with their loved ones as soon as possible once a storm hits. 

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• Secure vital openings. Secure windows and doors, trim trees, and move any valuables off of the ground level, securing any loose outdoor objects of any size. If necessary, nail boards over potential windows where storm winds can create more damage. 

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• Talk to your employees and customers in advance. Alert them of any interruptions or updates via email, text, or social media. Come up with a communication plan to check in on your employees and communicate with them when the storm hits, and figure out what your operational settings are so you can make reasonable promises during or after the storm.