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Ensure that you have a communication plan to notify your people as a hurricane approaches so you can account for everyone (and don’t forget your road warriors and off-site people) and provide direction on what to do as the threat increases. It’s best to have multiple ways to contact people – email, cell phones, public radio, etc. as some methods of communication may be more reliable than others.

If you need people to be on site during a hurricane, make plans for a safe shelter location and sufficient provisions to last the duration of the storm and immediate time after. Don’t forget that your people will also have homes to prepare for the hurricane so begin your preparations early and rotate people. You may have experienced many operational changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic that affect your hurricane planning so now is a good time to review your plans.

• Review your building now and take note of loose roofing or drain pipes, inventory outdoor equipment, and know what kind of utility back up you have (if any).
• Make arrangements to inspect your roof and fix anything that is loose or wearing. If you have outdoor equipment (even an outdoor lunch patio), consider if any of it can be relocated permanently. If not, begin a checklist of actions to implement as a storm approaches. As much outdoor equipment and storage as possible should be relocated indoors. Equipment that can’t be moved should be inspected for loose parts and tied down.
• Determine if you have windows that need to be covered and how that will be done. Move as much stock as possible off the floor. If you have roll up (dock) doors, consider bracing them with plywood held by forklifts. If you don’t know if you have backup power, investigate what you have and how it works. If you have a diesel or gasoline generator, know what it can run and how much fuel you need to have on hand.
• Test the generator. If you do not have a relationship with a disaster recovery firm, consider your options and consider signing up. These firms will be at capacity once the storm hits and may not take new customers.

You may feel that your facility is not in the hurricane’s wind path, but are you in its rain path? Water losses can be as devastating as wind losses. In addition to the precautions above, review low lying docks, doors or other areas and provide sandbags or other barriers to keep water out of your facility. If your facility has a basement or subgrade level, relocate electronic and computer equipment and any other valuable materials to a higher level. Lastly, test sump pumps or rent them ahead of time so water can be quickly removed from the facility.