HURRICANE PREP
At the start of hurricane season
* Review your insurance coverage with your insurance agent. Give your agent appropriate emergency contact information and be sure you have the claim reporting procedures.
* Photograph or videotape your office, warehouses, and stores – inside and outside – before a hurricane. Keep these records off premises.
* Prepare for your short-term and long-term energy needs. Consider installing permanent generator(s), owning some portable generators, or having agreements in place for generator rental.
– Having power will allow you the options to serve food when others cannot.
* Prepare a list of vendors to provide disaster recovery services. Many vendors will be overworked so have plenty of backups. Take a printed yellow page phone book with you.
– Clean up, boarding up damaged areas, debris removal, construction, etc.
* Consider whether you want to purchase the Wind Deductible Buy-Down product
When weather services indicate even the slightest chance your area is in the path
* Create and share your communication plan with your employees, including distribution of a web site where the company will post information and pass around printed sheet of key numbers.
– Ensure your employees’ contact information is up-to date and that you have a plan in place to communicate after the storm passes.
* Make multiple back-ups of computer files and data, and store records off premises. Turn off all computers and cover them with plastic bags.
* Make sure all store managers have the procedure for securing the building.
* Suggest that all employee’s fill their cars with gas
* Make bank deposits
Last Minute Prep – 3-7 days prior to store making landfall
* Move items away from the windows.
* Park company vehicles in safe – higher area not prone to flood, protected areas such as a covered garage.
* Record a special voice mail containing your phone and/or pager number(s) so employees and customers can reach you.
* Be sure pagers, cell phones, laptop computers and other electronics have new batteries.
* Lock drawers and file cabinets.
* Unplug all lamps, radios and equipment in case of a power surge.
* Close your offices in sufficient time to allow employees to secure their homes, obtain supplies and evacuate if necessary.
* Make final bank deposits.
* You should consider removing any valuable portable items in the store.