Is Your Business Prepared for Hurricane Season?

8/7/2020 (Permalink)

If your commercial business sustains storm damage during this hurricane system, remember that SERVPRO has your back and is ready to help.

In the United States, hurricane season stretches from the beginning of June to the end of November. As we approach the latter half of July, we move closer to peak hurricane season on the east coast, which is typically the beginning of August through October. This year’s hurricane season has already proved to be intense due to the large number of storms that have been named thus far. In addition, a study from Colorado State University supports that this year’s hurricane season will be 50% more severe than the average hurricane season. In order to survive after a hurricane, it is crucial that commercial businesses have a hurricane emergency plan in place before disaster strikes. Consider the following proactive measures that your business can take to up your hurricane preparedness.

Take Action Before The Storm

Information is a critical component of every business. Having up-to-date contact information for every employee will facilitate getting in touch with them and confirming their safety should a hurricane emergency occur. During a time when many employees may be working remotely, being able to contact them is more important than ever. Additionally, essential data that the company needs in order to operate should be saved digitally if possible so that they can be accessed outside of the building, as hurricanes can destroy original documents. If creating digital copies is impossible, consider making additional paper copies and storing them in waterproof containers. Finally, steps should be taken to protect your property. Consider having a professional inspect your business’ roof prior to a storm in an effort to ensure that it can sustain strong, hurricane force winds. Investing in storm shutters can prevent windows and doors from sustaining damage from flying debris during a hurricane. Before the storm hits, sandbags can also be placed around doors in order to prevent flooding.

Have A Plan In Place

Physically protecting your commercial business and your employees is also of grave importance before a hurricane strikes. Create an emergency evacuation plan specific to your business, including which stairwells and doors to utilize if a hurricane were to hit while employees are in the building. It may be helpful to have employees familiarize themselves with the plan and post the physical copies in various locations throughout the building so that they will understand what to do during an emergency.

SERVPRO Is Here To Help

Taking precautionary steps can decrease the chances of a hurricane devastating your commercial business but during a hurricane emergency, there is always a risk that the storm will cause unexpected damage. If your commercial business sustains storm damage during this hurricane system, remember that SERVPRO has your back and is ready to help. Our professional, experienced storm damage experts will work to restore your workplace to its pre-storm condition.