Hurricane Preparation For Business: Back-Up Plan Essentials

Hurricane preparation for business means protecting your operations from some of nature’s most dangerous storms. Hurricanes cause challenges that range from minor disruptions to major damages. You may find your business isn’t prepared to bounce back quickly from such difficulties. 

Key Takeaways

• Hurricanes create long-term and short-term disruptions to supply chains, requiring businesses in affected areas to practice hurricane preparation. 
• Preparing for a hurricane involves immediate measures, such as boarding windows and waterproofing equipment, and long-term strategies like a diverse supply chain.
• A business continuity plan (BSC) is essential to preparing for any natural or man-made disaster, including hurricanes.
• Emergency supply kits for businesses should include tarps, generators, rugged and secure storage supplies, and portable infrastructure to minimize loss of materials, inventory, and profits.

In this article, we'll walk you through several steps to protect your assets, employees, and continuity during a hurricane. Join us to learn how your business can weather any storm.

Be Prepared for the Worst Mother Nature Has to Offer. Call us at (855) 420-9447 or Contact EML Online Today!

Hurricane Preparedness for Business: Risks and Strategies

Hurricanes pose great risks to businesses, threatening structures and inventory. It's crucial for companies to understand these risks and put strategies in place to overcome them. 

Good preparation protects physical assets and business processes. With a plan in place, a business can recover as quickly as possible from the aftermath of a severe storm.
Take a look at our piece on hurricane recovery statistics for more insights into these damaging storms.

How Do Hurricanes Affect Business?

Hurricanes affect businesses in several ways, which range from immediate to long-lasting repercussions. The most direct impact is usually damage to business premises. 

With high winds and heavy rainfall, hurricanes can cause:

• Damage to windows and doors
• Inventory destruction
• Interruption to utilities like water and electricity

These storms can also disrupt routes and supply chains. Ports may close, and some roads can become impassable. This can delay the delivery of products and services regardless of your business’s location.

The extent of business damages caused by climate disasters is illustrated in the following table.

Damages Caused to Businesses by Extreme Weather 2018-2022 

Source: reuters.com

While these numbers account for extreme weather in general, a large chunk of losses was caused by hurricanes. These powerful storms are like a buffet of natural disasters. As such, hurricanes don’t just bring high winds and rain. Floods, tornadoes, and mudslides can occur as well.

The short list of damages hurricanes can cause to businesses includes the following calamities.

• Facility damage
• Loss of inventory and equipment
• Disruption of utilities (electricity, water, internet)
• Downed power lines leading to outages
• Closure of shipping routes, docks, and airports
• Potential loss of customers and revenue due to business downtime

These impacts show the importance of effective hurricane preparation. Without it, businesses lack safeguards to ensure continued service after a major hurricane.

Find detailed information about inventory protection during storms in this guide.

How to Prepare a Business for Hurricane Season

Preparing for a hurricane can be divided into short-term and long-term measures. Each plays a vital role in safeguarding businesses from hurricane damage.

First, let’s quickly clarify what differentiates hurricane warnings and watches.

• If a hurricane watch is issued, your area may be hit by a hurricane.
• Conversely, a warning means that your area is expected to be hit.

If the National Weather Service issues a hurricane watch or warning in an area of concern, have the following short-term strategies ready to use.

• Emergency Plan: Put an emergency response plan in place designed for hurricanes. This includes designating a response team and defining their roles. 
• Securing Assets: Protect any brick-and-mortar stores by boarding up windows and reinforcing structures.
• Data Backup and IT Protection: Ensure that all critical business data is backed up and IT systems are secured against outages.
• Communicating With Employees: Build clear lines of communication to inform personnel about the company’s responses.
• Preparing an Emergency Supply Kit for Business: Put a kit together with essentials like flashlights and first-aid supplies.

Before a hurricane threatens your business, these long-term steps are also helpful.

• Supply Chain Diversification: Map out alternate supply routes in case your regular routes are closed. Have backup suppliers ready if you can’t access your regular business supply chain during hurricane season.
• Comprehensive Insurance Coverage: Your business should be insured against hurricane-related damages. This includes traveling freight.
• Regular Training: Hold training sessions and drills for employees so they're prepared for hurricane scenarios.
• Community and Government Coordination: Build relationships with local emergency services. Be aware of government resources and aid available during a hurricane.

These short-term and long-term measures can reduce the impact of hurricanes and let businesses quickly return to normal operations.

Preparing for a Hurricane: Business Continuity Planning

A continuity plan helps small business owners quickly resume operations after a hurricane. This plan should include strategies and procedures specifically designed to address the threat a hurricane poses. 

Here are some general steps that should be included in such a plan:

• Designate an Emergency Response Team: Give each member clearly defined roles and duties.
• Set Up Evacuation Routes: Make sure employees know the best way to exit the workplace during an emergency. This should include safe routes and meeting points.
• Protect Data: Regularly back up vital business data. Keep backups clearly labeled and off the power grid when not in use.
• Communicate with Suppliers and Customers: Establish plans to stay in touch with  suppliers and customers before, during, and after a hurricane.
• Protect Your Assets: Consider reinforcing buildings and securing equipment and inventory.
• Training and Drills: Conduct drills to ensure employees are prepared for disasters.

By including these steps in a business continuity plan, a company can be better prepared to face a hurricane. This will minimize potential damages, ensuring a quick return to normal operations.

Hurricane Business Supply List

An emergency supply kit for businesses is an important part of hurricane preparedness. Items in this kit should help maintain operations and ensure employee safety during and immediately after the storm. 

There are plenty of lists that include first-aid kits, flashlights, and batteries as essentials. As a business, these items will be helpful, but you’ll need more to push through the aftermath of a hurricane.

Examples of emergency supplies for a business include:

• Gas or diesel generators and fuel
• Water pumps to treat flooded areas
• Heavy-duty tarps and pop-up tents
• Large-capacity battery packs
• Portable fans and A/Cs
• Emergency lighting systems
• Industrial plastic wrap to protect inventory
• Sandbags for flood defense
• Structural reinforcements such as plywood

To store and maintain these supplies, consider partnering with an emergency logistics provider.

If your business is one that must stay in operation during a storm, perhaps providing a critical service, also consider things such as portable cots and emergency food supplies. These can be used by individuals staying to run operations. 

Looking for alternate suppliers? Find out how to access alternative sources for necessary goods and materials.

How to Maintain Business Supply Chains During Hurricane Season

Whether you’re bringing in emergency supplies or trying to keep your inventory topped off, post-hurricane supply chains are a huge challenge. With roads closed and property damages piling up, disasters compound the inherent difficulties of logistics.

Businesses who want to keep the supply chain moving after a hurricane strikes must prepare in advance. To help you make those preparations, we’ve put together this guide to managing supply chain continuity during a natural disaster.

Why Partner with Emergency Management Logistics for Hurricane Preparedness?

Depending on the location of your business, hurricanes may be unavoidable during certain times of year. The storms themselves can’t be stopped: however, much of the damage they do can be reduced with careful planning. 

Emergency Management Logistics has the vehicles, experience, and distribution network businesses need during a disaster. No matter what kind of natural or manmade catastrophes your business might need to endure, trust us for assistance with:

• Corporate emergencies
• Disaster relief
• Emergency logistics consulting
• And more

Call our team of experts at (855) 420-9447 or contact us online today. We’re standing by to help you and your business ride the storm out.