The peak of hurricane season is here, and all eyes are following Hurricane Irene. As if to warn us not to focus too much on one type of disaster (hurricanes), Northern Virginia experiences a magnitude 5.9 earthquake earlier this afternoon. There were plenty of reports around the Lowcountry of people and buildings feeling the impact from that earthquake. I dealt with earthquakes in a post earlier this year following the Japan earthquake. Check the links to the right (March 2011) for some tips on earthquake preparation. Remember, there is no earthquake season (or stated another way, it's always earthquake season)!
Hurricane Irene will be a major hurricane soon and will tease most of the Eastern Seaboard over the next few days. While projections and models are coming into closer agreement on a path, these storms are not 100% predictable. Anytime a major hurricane is passing by our coastline, there is always the chance for an unpredicted change in course. The last thing any business needs is to try to implement a detailed hurricane plan when there is little time before landfall. So let's review the 10 things your business should do now to get ready.
1) Talk to your People. Get updated contact information from all employees and put it on a master list that everyone (at least all Managers) can access. Ask employees where they plan to go during an evacuation.
2) Plan your Escape. Make a plan for the location and route all key staff will take if a mandatory evacuation is issued. Figure out how many hotel rooms are needed for key staff, their families, and pets. Start making reservations how.
3) Gather your Stuff. Every employee has a few things they need to do their job. Give each employee some bright red circle stickers and ask them to place a sticker on each item that is critical to doing their job. These items must be packed and brought with you during an evacuation. The stickers tell others what to pack if someone is absent.
4) Check your Insurance. Review your policies carefully for flood, wind, contents, and business interruption/extra expense coverage. Document all your contents with pictures and/or video and store it off-site.
5) Talk to Customers. Ask what they expect or need from you during and after a potential hurricane strike. Make sure you have plans in place to continue communicating with them.
6) Talk to Vendors. Make sure you have emergency contact info for your key vendors and ask them about their plans to continue serving you before, during, and after a hurricane strike.
7) Review Back-ups. Check your back-up logs to make sure everything is backed up correctly and try restoring a few important files. Make sure all back-ups are safely off-site in a distant location or go with you during an evacuation.
8) Check Phones. Talk to your phone company about the procedure to forward all calls to a cell phone or other number. Find out how much lead time they need to put the forwarding in place.
9) Plan for Remote Access. Make sure you can access your e-mail and critical files while your main computer systems and servers are down. Copy critical files to laptops or other portable devices that can go with you during an evacuation.
10) Check your Finances. During a significant hurricane strike, mail service could be interrupted for a while. You may have to forward mail to an alternate location which means checks, invoices, and other important items may be delayed. Prepare for financial disruptions to your regular cash flow cycle.
This list isn't complete, of course, but at least gives you ten of the more important things to prepare your business for a hurricane. Don't wait until the last minute - start your plan now and let me know if you need help.
