Hurricanes and severe storms in 2017 delivered a devastating blow across the Atlantic. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), there were 16 separate billion-dollar weather events in the U.S. last year resulting in a cumulative cost of $306.2 billion – making 2017 the costliest hurricane year on record.

Hurricane season spans from June 1 to November 30. As we enter the season this year, weather experts are predicting more severe storm events. NOAA estimates a “75% chance that the 2018 season will see near or more than the average number of storms in the basin.” In addition, conditions are favorable for an El Niño climate cycle, which can intensify storms.

For corporations and business owners, this time of year can be stressful when trying to protect people and buildings from hurricanes. Being prepared is the best way to minimize injury to employees and customers, as well as keep building damage to a minimum. There are many short- and long-term steps business owners can take to help safeguard buildings from destructive weather.

Protect your people

Obviously, people are a business’s most important asset, and protecting them during a storm is paramount. It’s essential to keep employees and/or customers out of harm’s way in the time before, during and after a hurricane. Advance planning will put a protocol in place should a storm occur during business hours.

Create a hurricane response plan

Having a response plan ready in advance of a storm – or any disaster – is the number one measure to ensure the protection of customers and employees. Creating a response plan takes time and energy but will help defend your business against a hurricane. Ready.gov recommends that your response plan include the following.

• Two-way communication system for reaching employees/customers and emergency services
• Map of multiple evacuation routes
• A designated location for employees to meet inside your facility or at a nearby shelter
• Checklists of tasks for people to complete before, during and after a hurricane

Of course, you must monitor weather forecasts more closely during hurricane season to know when your response plan needs to be put into action.

Test your response plan

It is important not only to have an emergency plan in place but to practice it as well. Be sure every employee is aware of the procedures and understands his or her role. Regular training sessions can help prepare employees and minimize fear when disaster strikes. Appoint an emergency response team in each location and/or building to help organize personnel. Team members should have assigned duties and know how to perform them.

The response plan should also be flexible. Hurricanes are unpredictable, and unexpected situations may arise during and after a storm. When doing a trial run of your response plan, create different scenarios to test the procedures and your people for maximum preparedness.

Know employee locations

Know where each employee is located day to day. Have a plan in place to track employees’ whereabouts during business hours. Knowing each employee’s location at any given time during their shift will enable you to reach them immediately in the case of an emergency. Effective communication is vital during a storm and will help keep everyone safe and calm.

Protect your commercial facility

Once you are comfortable with the preparations and precautions are taken to protect your people, taking measures to protect your facility comes next. You can minimize damage and costs from a hurricane by implementing these procedures.

Insure your building and consider repair costs upfront

Before a hurricane strikes, be prepared for the possibility of repairs and restoration that it could require. Establish a relationship with a credible restoration company and ask them to perform a pre-loss assessment on your buildings. This will give you an idea of repair and restoration costs, so you can ensure you have proper insurance coverage and avoid surprises related to costly repairs after a storm. Maintaining a relationship with the restoration company will also save time after a storm. When you are looking to get your business back up and running ASAP, knowing a quality restoration company when everyone is looking for help will be extremely beneficial.

Properly maintain buildings and backup equipment

Hopefully, your company is already properly maintaining its commercial buildings and equipment. That can pay off in helping protect your facilities during a hurricane. Always keep your buildings up to code and in clean working condition. Be sure to have roofs checked at least once a year. Also, inspect the weatherstripping and caulking to assure that it is properly in place.

Having the right equipment in place to keep your facility running during a storm is often overlooked. Maintenance and placement of this equipment must be well thought out. In your plan, specify who, when, where and how emergency equipment will be maintained. Depending on your facility, the following equipment may be necessary for hurricane preparedness:

• Sufficient fuel supply (60-72 hours’ worth is recommended)
• Well-tested and maintained generators
• Offsite data backup system
• Uninterruptible power supplies (not in a basement, which may flood)

Protect your business assets

Knowing your most valuable resources and where they are located in your facility will enable you to react quickly to protect them. During a hurricane, machinery, product inventory, supplies and technology systems are a few of your business assets that may be at risk. Ask yourself these questions to help prevent a loss of resources:

• Where are your valuable business assets located in the building?
• Are these resources physically protected? How are they protected?
• What resources are crucial for business operation?
• Are these assets owned and insured?
• What assets are leased and what is the liability if they are damaged?

At Bobbitt Design Build, we specialize in architectural design and construction services for high-quality commercial buildings. Once our clients have moved into their facilities, we continue to be a resource, advising them on how to maintain and protect their buildings for longevity. If you have any questions about maintaining your commercial facility or preparing your building for hurricane season, contact Bobbitt Design Build today.