Business Planning for Upcoming Hurricanes

As Hurricane Matthew approaches the East Coast, this brings to mind a topic that many businesses don’t spend a lot of time considering: preparing for disaster.

Image of high winds

High winds and destructive waves from hurricanes can do a lot of damage to your property and to your business.

Hurricane season officially begins June 1 each year and ends November 30. The peak of the season, when most hurricanes occur, runs from mid-August to mid-October.

International Experts has an office in Charleston, SC. We closed our office earlier this week and made sure our employees had left the area as well. Our clients did the same, from Florida through Georgia into South Carolina.

Here are a few tips for companies to remember:

Be prepared for storm season by knowing where to tune for weather updates when a hurricane watch or hurricane warning has been posted. Local television and radio are a good be as well as on line resources like www.weather.com, www.nhc.noaa.gov and www.wunderground.com.

Review and update your Hurricane Disaster Supply Kit, and Personal Evacuation Plan. It can be difficult or impossible to get necessary supplies at the last minute. Store shelves can quickly empty of batteries, candles, water and other essential items when a storm is predicted.

Remember to identify assets that are the most critical to your business and also identify the data your customers need the most. Make sure your files are all backed up.

Do you know your business’s elevation? Move valuable property to higher locations and off the floor, in case flooding occurs.Visit FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center to learn about your property’s projected risk to flood hazards.

FEMA also has an excellent downloadable guide online for Hurricane Preparedness, with information about personal preparedness, property protection and risk management.

10_Disaster_Preparedness_TipsFor more tips on disaster preparedness here is another resource: 10 Disaster Preparedness Tips for Businesses.

We hope all of our clients are safe and remain well throughout the upcoming storm.