Tailored Hurricane Preparation for Your Industry

TAILORED HURRICANE PREPARATION FOR YOUR INDUSTRY

Hurricanes, with their intense winds, heavy rainfall and storm surge flooding, can impact businesses across any industry. Whether you manage an apartment, oversee a school district or run a restaurant, proper preparation is critical for mitigating losses and resuming operations quickly after storm damage.

Businesses can prepare for hurricanes by taking generic steps to ready their property and workforce. However, while universal preparation guides — like this Hurricane Preparedness Guide from Cotton Global Disaster Solutions — provide key information for hurricane readiness, your specific industry may require additional, customized advice to help you fully prepare.

The following industry-specific hurricane prep tips are designed to help you better understand what disaster preparation may look like for your property. Take your hurricane preparation to the next level with hurricane guidance tailored to your industry!

Are you looking for even more customized guidance on how your specific business can prepare? Schedule a hurricane planning session with one of Cotton Global Disaster Solutions’ experts and set your business on a path to success this hurricane season and beyond, no matter your industry.

SCHEDULE A HURRICANE PLANNING SESSION

HURRICANE PREPARATION TIPS FOR YOUR INDUSTRY

HOSPITALITY

In the hospitality industry, you are likely focused on providing the best possible service to your guests or clients. When a hurricane approaches, you can keep your customers safe, informed and comfortable by considering these hospitality-specific preparation tips.

Guest Communication Planning - Establish when, what and how you will communicate with patrons during a disaster. Additionally, develop a communication plan to be used during a power outage. Keeping your customers aware of real-time updates and the steps your staff are taking can help reinforce trust in your brand and services.
Take Inventory - Know what supplies your facility has on hand before a major storm. Stock emergency supplies if guests must remain at your property longer than intended due to a storm. Consider taking pre- and post-storm pictures and videos of your supplies and property to help with documentation for insurance purposes.
Electrical Considerations - If your property has an elevator or other powered equipment, consider how you will continue operations during a flood or power outage. If you operate a restaurant or other hospitality business that provides food, note your pre-storm food supply and construct a plan for food safety and distribution during a storm response. Consider lowering the temperature in walk-in freezers to help preserve food during an outage.

HEALTHCARE

Healthcare facilities provide critical care to patients, especially in the wake of destructive storms like hurricanes. Staying operational during and after storms is not just a nice-to-have for your industry; ongoing patient care is essential to the well-being of impacted communities. Ensure your teams can continue providing healing to patients by considering these key healthcare industry preparation tips.

Emergency Response Plan - Craft a specific emergency response plan for your facility that outlines staffing arrangements, continuous patient care and supply chain management operations. Prepare to communicate information to local government officials as well as to patients, visitors and staff on your facility’s response to the storm. Work with surrounding medical facilities to arrange for resource sharing and assistance as needed.
Stock Critical Supplies - Arrange to have enough medical equipment, supplies and medicine to take care of patients, especially if patient numbers swell after a storm’s destruction. Consider food and water provisions for patients and visitors who may be staying at the hospital.
Check Generators - Confirm that backup power supplies, like generators, are functional, properly maintained and powerful enough to continue essential hospital operations. In the event of power loss or physical destruction from the storm, have a backup of data, including patient information.

MULTIFAMILY

Whether your multifamily property houses families, college students or elderly residents, communication and preparation will be critical to successfully weathering the storm and building confidence in your services.

Educate Residents - Provide residents with updates and information about storm preparation in advance. Give guidance via emails or community postings on tips like bringing in patio furniture, filling bathtubs with water before a storm and sheltering within buildings for those who do not evacuate.
Property Maintenance - Before the storms arrive, perform property fixes and maintenance to help reduce the risk of further damage during the high winds of a hurricane. Tasks like inspecting roofs, reinforcing windows and securing outdoor furniture can help better protect you and your residents.
Review Insurance Information - Encourage your residents to proactively get renters’ insurance and flood insurance. Double-check your own policies as well to ensure you are insured against the wind and flood damage that can result from hurricanes. Seek out additional insurance partners for guidance before hurricanes hit.

EDUCATION

Preparing your education facilities with storm response strategies before hurricanes hit can help your district or university return to a normal schedule for students after a disaster event.

School Shutdown Plan - Set clear guidelines regarding when to shut down school operations to keep students and faculty safe. Consider which facilities and operations will be included in the shutdown.
Utilize Communication Channels - Set up and convey important updates to students, parents and staff about shutdowns, reopenings and overall safety guidance. Also, be prepared to communicate with government officials about your education facility’s status and capabilities following the storm.
Prepare for Post-Hurricane Community Assistance - Think through ways your facility may be a resource to the community after a hurricane. Be prepared that local emergency officials may request to use your school gym or cafeteria to host those needing shelter. Additionally, construct a plan for donating or throwing out food from school cafeterias in the event of a power outage.

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

If you manage multiple properties, protect your tenants and inventory by preparing for a hurricane’s most damaging effects. Proper preparation may help you resume business faster so you can get back to serving your clients.

Update Tenants’ Emergency Contacts - Make sure you have updated emergency contact information for your tenants. Provide your contact information to them as well and set communication expectations.
Inspect Managed Sites - Before the storms come, inspect your facilities to see if any preventative maintenance is needed. Ensure that water will drain properly at each facility. If a storm is imminent, take defensive measures like reinforcing windows as needed to help mitigate damage and prevent looting.
Plan for Supply Chain Disruptions - If you manage retail properties, ensure the facility has noted pre-storm inventory levels. Confirm that each tenant has a plan for resuming operations, including obtaining more goods post-storm, in the event of supply chain disruptions.

INDUSTRIAL AND ENERGY

No matter if your property produces energy, distributes goods or refines chemicals, hurricanes stand to significantly impact operations. Customized preparation is critical for minimizing downtime and restoring operations following weather-related disasters for the industrial and energy sectors.

Prepare to House Employees - A severe hurricane could possibly detain staff at your property or result in some employees needing to stay onsite for days at a time to maintain operations and prioritize safety.
Know Shutoff Locations - Ensure you and your staff are aware of all shutoff locations for various resources. This includes not only the water and gas shutoff valves, but also electrical shutoffs and raw materials that may be present in your facility, including nitrogen or chemical feeds. Shutting off utilities could help stop additional flooding and mitigate damage.
Coordinate with Government Officials - Depending on the energy facility you operate, you may need to keep open channels of communication with government officials to ensure smooth operations and timely updates in the event of disruptions to your energy production.

CONSTRUCTION AND GENERAL CONTRACTORS

Across the construction industry, you can support your crews and secure yourprojects with proper hurricane preparation.

Secure Job Sites - For in-progress projects, protect your work by securing the job site. Board up windows and restrain loose equipment or structures that must remain behind.
Delay Deliveries - If needed, postpone any upcoming deliveries that would result in additional loose materials being added to your job site.
Remove Debris - Clean up construction site debris and scrap material that hurricane winds could pick up. Add netting to dumpsters, if necessary, to prevent further debris from escaping.

TRANSPORTATION

As a hurricane ravages a community, the transportation industry can face the difficult challenge of needing to provide critical services in dangerous, uncertain environments.

Relocate Assets to Safer Locations - Before the storm, relocate cars, divert trains and reposition trucks to locations out of the hurricane’s path.
Fuel in Advance - Fuel up your fleet or have extra fuel stored so you can continue to utilize transportation, since fuel may be hard to access due to increased demand, supply challenges or road obstructions.
Make Copies of Important Documents - If you manage a fleet, consider making copies of vital documents like insurance cards to ensure your crews have backups. Also, consider taking pictures of your assets before and after the storm for insurance documentation.

GET HURRICANE-READY, NO MATTER YOUR INDUSTRY

Beyond general preparation, you can ensure your property is as ready as possible for hurricanes by considering the particular needs of your industry.

For personalized assistance preparing for storms or other disasters, contact Cotton GDS. Our 24/7 response, expert management and innovative solutions mean you can get on the track to recovery fast after catastrophes. The Cotton GDS teams have specialized experience across many industries and are ready to tailor all-in-one solutions for your post-storm recovery.

Stay ahead of the storms in any industry by partnering with Cotton for comprehensive help.