How to Prepare for the Perfect Storm
If your business is located in a hurricane or tornado-prone area it is at risk of major storm damage. A few simple but essential steps, as well as a good recovery plan, will allow your company to maintain business continuity in the event of a hurricane.
First and Foremost: Prepare a hurricane and tornado plan.
The most important thing is to plan ahead. Think of how your business would react to a hurricane or a tornado. Downed electrical lines and power outages are common, as well as hurricane window damage and other costly property damage. Remember, distant electricity outages can affect your business.
Protection and Prevention Tips
Prepare an official document to make information accessible during a hurricane or a tornado for better and faster communication. Here are some storm protection and prevention tips to include in your hurricane plan:
- Ask your local emergency management office about the possibility and history of hurricanes in your area. While you're there, learn more about your area's hurricane and other emergency plans.
- Establish warning and evacuation procedures for your building.
- Purchase an NOAA Weather Radio for hurricane watches and warnings.
- Avoid elevators.
- Have disaster supplies on hand, including:
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- Portable, battery-operated radio and extra batteries
- First aid kit and manual
- Emergency food and water
- The worst storms can cause hurricane window damage. To protect your windows:
- Permanent shutters are the best protection. A lower-cost approach is to put up plywood panels. Use 1/2 inch plywood - marine plywood is best - cut to fit each window. Remember to mark which board fits which window.
- If power is lost, turn off major equipment to reduce a power "surge" when electricity is restored
- Keep back-up systems in mind, including:
Remember These 3 Steps
To better prepare yourself for a hurricane or tornado:
- Discuss with your insurance agent what's covered in your existing policy.
- Refer to the preparation guidelines outlined above and on the Hurricane Insurance page.
- Consider a membership to Agility's ReadySuite.
Agility's ReadySuite: A Complete Mobile Recovery Solution
A membership with Agility's ReadySuite ensures you have a mobile office to keep your business running, even if your physical space is completely destroyed. You're provided with emergency space and equipment, including computers, servers, and satellite telephone and internet link-ups—all within 48 hours of an emergency declaration.
Stay Connected With Customers—Before They Connect With Someone Else
If your business is destroyed, insurance will pay to rebuild it. But how do you maintain operations while rebuilding? Most customers won't wait in the interim: they'll take their business elsewhere.
ReadySuite is a simple, turn-key solution that lets you continue operations
without interruption, regardless of the circumstance. Take the guesswork
out of ensuring business continuity in the wake of a disaster. With
ReadySuite, continuity and peace of mind can be yours. All for an
affordable $275 a month.
ReadySuite is Virtually Risk-Free
If there ever was an event, most business interruption insurance policies will cover the cost of ReadySuite. (Verify that's the case with your provider.) That makes ReadySuite a virtually risk-free way to ensure your business survival.
Call to learn why ReadySuite has a 100% success rate—and how its mobile recovery solutions can be applied to your business. Your call will be returned in one business day.
Be prepared in the event of any disaster—natural or otherwise. Learn more about Agility's ReadySuite.
Other Resources
Public resources for small businesses: www.business.gov/topics/research_resources
The United States Small Business Administration: www.sba.gov
The American Better Business Bureau: www.bbb.org
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration: www.osha.gov
The Federal Emergency Management Agency: www.fema.gov
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: www.noaa.gov
NOAA's National Weather Service: www.nws.noaa.gov
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Storm Damage
