Hurricanes: During and Post-Storm

Staying safe during a storm and what to do once the storm is over. 

Off-season and pre-season planning will help minimize and mitigate potential impacts of a hurricane to businesses, employees and their families. If you are caught in the path of a storm, always pay attention to local guidance about updated plans for evacuations and shelters. Below are some additional tips to stay safe during the storm.

• Emergency personnel should stay at the facility only if safe to do so. Notify local authorities if personnel are staying on site.
• Keep names and phone numbers of your electrician, heating contractor, plumber, fire department, police department and other key numbers easily accessible.
• In an emergency situation, comply with all directions and emergency orders issued by authorities.
• Keep your first-aid kit available at all times.
• Designate times for key staff members to call into conference calls for situation updates.
• Update the employee emergency hotline and/or company intranet and website with the status of the facility.
• When safe to do so, patrol the property continuously. Watch for roof leaks, pipe breakage, fire or structural damage.
• Constantly monitor any boilers that must remain online.
• During power failure, turn off electrical switches to prevent re-energizing of equipment until necessary checks are completed.

Restoration and Recovery after a storm

The devastation a hurricane leaves in its wake depends on the location, population density and hurricane size. Post hurricane disaster areas are never the same from day to day and are continuously changing during cleanup efforts. In the immediate aftermath of a hurricane, it is important to assess the situation quickly and safely. Below are some key recovery and restoration tips.

• Life Safety
  • Provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as gloves, masks, eye protection and hard hats
  • Provide trained search and rescue personnel with last known location of any missing victim(s).
  • Do not move seriously injured individuals. If high-rise buildings are in the general area, falling debris may make open areas more dangerous than remaining inside the buildings. Watch out for fallen power lines and broken gas lines.
  • Stay away from power lines, buildings and any object that might fall.
  • Look for safety hazards such as live electrical wires, leaking gas, flammable liquids, corrosive/toxic materials, and damage to foundations or underground piping.
  • Secure the site and provide watch service if necessary.
  • Visually check for open bus bars, conductors and exposed insulators before re-energizing electrical systems. Check on the well-being of employees and their families. If support is needed and available, dispatch to employee homes. Employees who are concerned with the safety and well-being of their families will not be available to support company recovery efforts. The sooner families are safe, the more quickly they can participate in company recovery efforts.

• Restoration and Recovery
  • Take pictures to start documenting damages.
  • Do what you can to secure all property from further loss. Cover roof damage with tarps and cover windows with plywood.
  • Contact a local contractor to come provide a scope of the damage.
  • Contact your insurance Broker or Carrier to report any damage as soon as possible.
  • You may have more than one insurance policy that will respond to the damage.
    • Be sure you are reporting to all carriers where there could be coverage-Property, Auto, Flood and Windstorm.

• Repair automatic sprinkler protection and/or water supplies to get protection back in service as soon as possible.
• Restore fire protection systems, if necessary.
• Conduct two-inch main drain and alarm tests on automatic fire protection sprinkler systems to verify public water supply availability.
• Contact key personnel and notify contractors to start repairs. Control smoking and use hot work permits where applicable. Maintain fire-safe conditions at all times.
• Cover broken windows and torn roof coverings immediately.
• Clean roof drains and remove debris from roofs.
• Notify key customers, suppliers and partners of office/facility reopening and any necessary property or operational changes resulting from storm damage.

View our other Hurricane Preparedness guide: 

• Hurricane Planning

If you have a claim to report, contact your carrier immediately. It’s the fastest way to get claims processed. Insurance carrier claims teams are available 24/7.

Note: This communication is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to offer legal, tax, or client-specific risk management advice. Information in this communication is not meant to describe specific coverages that may be advisable or available to you or your company, or to interpret specific coverages that may already be in place. General insurance descriptions in this communication do not include complete insurance policy definitions, terms, and/or conditions, and should not be relied on for coverage interpretation. Actual insurance policies must always be consulted for full coverage details and analysis. View our privacy notice.