How to Prepare Your Business for a Hurricane

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BEFORE THE STORM

• It's always ideal to prepare for a hurricane or storm long before it becomes an imminent threat, as this would grant you more time to make solid decisions in advance.
• Create a comprehensive emergency disaster preparedness plan after a thorough assessment of the critical aspects of your business and the possible impacts of the disaster to your facility. Make sure that your employees and staff understand it in detail. 
• Review your flood risk and familiarize yourself with designated evacuation zones in Florida. 
• Protect the physical structure of your facility before a hurricane by laying down sandbags around its perimeter, boarding up windows and doors, installing roof tarps, and securing all other areas.
• Designate a safe space inside your business for employees to take shelter in and make sure to prepare an emergency kit and stock on essentials. 
• Check your insurance policy and review your coverage. If you determine that you need additional coverage to get your business operational again after a disaster strikes, talk to your insurance carrier to update your plan. 
• After making a plan, make sure to communicate it to your employees and practice it often. The more you practice, the more everyone will be familiar about what they should do when a disaster strikes. 

DURING THE STORM

• Stay tuned to the latest updates from the proper authorities to ensure that you are aware of the storm's status, the latest weather conditions, and warnings or signals issued to your area.
• Safety must be your priority during a storm. Make sure that you and your family are safe and think about your business later.
• Focus on the emergency plan you've done beforehand and make any adjustments based on the situation you're in. 

AFTER THE STORM

• After the threat of the storm has passed and it's safe for you to enter your facility, immediately assess the damages incurred and call your insurance company. Document the damage for insurance purposes, salvage what you can, and make minor repairs if necessary.
• Contact a reputable disaster restoration service like Armstrong Water Mold Cleanup & Restorations to get your business back up and running immediately.

Contact Florida’s Trusted Disaster Cleanup & Restoration Experts

• We are IICRC Certified in Water Damage Restoration, Applied Structural Drying, Fire & Smoke Restoration and Applied Microbial Remediation (#100623) 
• We are certified to be Lead Safe by the US Environmental Protection Agency (#NAT-F155753-1, issued 7-10-2015)
• We  work with your insurance company to maximize the covered benefits for property restoration.