Preparing Your Business for a Hurricane

When a hurricane threatens the area you live in there are two important steps you
need to take. First, have a coordinated plan to keep your family safe. This could
include a list of emergency contacts, an adequate supply of prescribed medications
on hand, and a planned, safe route of evacuation. Second, make sure that you have
done everything in your power to protect your home and/or business.

Preparing your business to face a hurricane is just as important as securing your
home. Here are some tips from the experts at Water Mold Fire Restoration, 800-
905-0277, on how to prepare your business to not only survive, but also to
minimize damage that could be done to it when a hurricane is tracking in your
direction.

Emergency Business Planning and Your Employees

If you already have a business emergency plan in place, review it with your
employees so that they know what is expected in this type of emergency. This will
ensure the safety of both your people and your property. If you don’t have this type
of plan in place, create one and communicate the plan to your employees.

Ensure that all lines of communication are open during and after the hurricane, even
if communication by phone is unavailable. Because hurricanes are usually tracked
well in advance of their arrival, you have sufficient time before the storm to discuss
the role of each person in preparing your business to survive the storm.

Protect Your Property

There are several steps that you can take to prepare yourself and your business to
face a hurricane and minimize damage to your property:

• Stock the required emergency supplies according to the requirements of
  your business.
• Secure all the doors and windows and ensure that all the openings are
  boarded up to keep the water, wind and debris from getting in.
• Place sandbags around the perimeter of the building to prevent or slow down
  the penetration of water.
• Bolt all storage shelves and large furniture to walls or floors.
• Shut off all utilities and unplug all electronic devices.
• Move all the expensive equipment to a higher level, where the water cannot
  reach and damage them. By keeping important items on shelves or on higher
  floors will ensure that they have a better chance of surviving the storm
  undamaged.
• Keep all records of your business assets and take pictures of the property
  inside and out before the hurricane so that you have evidence of loss for your
  insurance company.
• Ensure that all your business data and documents are backed up on off-site
  storage.
• Keep all important paper documents safely in waterproof containers and try
  and move them offsite to a safe location or keep them as high as possible.

Monitor the Storm Updates

When a hurricane threatens, keep track of updates on conditions constantly. In case
an evacuation order is given you will have established your plan in advance and can
take immediate action. Maintain contact with your employees and ensure that
everyone has the latest updates on the storm information, road closures, etc.

Once the hurricane passed and the authorities advise that it is safe to return, you
will be ready to assess the damages to your property and take the necessary steps to
bring your business back on line. If you need to file a claim, contact your insurance
service provider. You can contact Water Mold Fire Restoration at 800-905-0277.
We will have emergency crews standing by to assist you for anything your business
needs. Our teams can be contacted 24/7. Or if you prefer you can email us at
help@watermoldfire.net for more information concerning our emergency services.