MaintenX has helped businesses through many natural disasters in our home state of Florida over the years. When Hurricane Michael hit the Florida panhandle in 2018, we sent several teams to support local businesses with emergency maintenance services to ensure they could survive the turbulent times. And, in this time we’ve learned a lot about how businesses can survive natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, and local power outages.
If you are preparing for hurricane season or haven’t updated your emergency response plan for your business, these tips can help you weather the storm:
Invest in generator maintenance.
In a natural disaster, a backup generator can make all the difference in surviving and opening your store early. However, you typically don’t think about your generator until it is critical for your business. If it is not taken care of, you could have an out-of-order generator at the worst possible time. Prevent generator problems during an emergency by investing in regular preventative care throughout the year. Topping off fuel and fluid levels and scheduling electrical maintenance services on occasion can ensure you are prepared for a disaster whenever it strikes.
Patch your roofing annually.
Roofing damage is one of the worst types of damage to experience during a natural disaster. If the roof leaks – or in the worst case collapses – your entire facility will be in trouble. You can avoid catastrophic roof damage by scheduling regular inspections and taking care of roof leaks and patchwork as soon as they’re identified.
Schedule hydro jetting services annually.
Surprisingly, hurricane season can cause problems with your plumbing system. Tree roots often wrap around pipes, and can cause kinks or pipe bursts if they are uprooted during a storm. While you can’t prevent trees from falling during a hurricane or tornado, you can prevent sewer backups from causing further problems with regular hydro jetting services.
You should also prepare an emergency response plan for your business, whether that be evacuation plans or shelter-in-place procedures for essential businesses and medical facilities. This plan should be updated annually to ensure it accounts for all employees, equipment, and any changes made to your facility throughout the year.
MaintenX specializes in emergency maintenance services for natural disasters and other unexpected maintenance issues at your business. For more tips on hurricane season for businesses, visit our Resource Center.
