Hurricane season is in full swing here in Florida. This means that the likelihood of a major storm hitting the coast is at an all-time high, putting residents and business owners on edge. However, you don’t have to worry if you have a solid hurricane preparedness plan for your facility. With some forethought and training for employees, you can survive this and every hurricane season.
MaintenX recommends you follow these three steps for hurricane preparedness every season:
Wooden window boards and sandbags
These physical barriers from rain, debris, and storm surge will be most effective in protecting the building’s interior. You can find affordable wooden boards to protect windows and sandbags at most home improvement stores, and MaintenX tries to supply businesses with sandbags during major storm events. These protective measures will help your building combat the worst of the rain and wind.
Evacuation of employees and essential equipment
If a storm is predicted to reach category three or above, you should give your employees time to gather their personal items from the facility and evacuate to a safer location. Staying in an at-risk area can be incredibly dangerous. You should also try to move important inventory and equipment to a safer storage space if possible. Storage facilities that are further inland are oftentimes safer than those on the coast.
Communicate your plan to employees before and after the storm.
If you plan to close your facility or have employees evacuate, you should plan for communications before and after the storm. If a hurricane is serious, power outages will be likely and you may not be able to reach employees easily. Let them know in advance your plans for operations if the storm is serious, and plan for backup communications outside of phone and email if necessary.
These three guidelines will help you better prepare for hurricane season. Always be on the lookout for storm updates and know from your local weather station whether evacuation is advised. When in doubt, plan for closures.
If you are affected by major hurricane damage, contact your local MaintenX team. We specialize in disaster recovery and maintenance for commercial facilities across the Florida coast. No matter what, MaintenX has your back!
