When disaster hits, many businesses find themselves under-prepared. With major storms looming and promising high winds, heavy rains, storm surges, and flooding, those along the East Coast and other affected areas need to prepare for potentially severe damage.
Even if you aren’t in the current storm’s path, now is the perfect time to review your Hurricane Disaster Recovery Plan. A storm is brewing, and you must be prepared. At Kapnick, we have tools to help, including emergency plan worksheets, checklists, and more.
Creating Your Hurricane Disaster Recovery Plan
Hurricanes present several potential causes of severe damage, from rain and flooding to high winds and flying objects. Some of these hazards may persist long after the storm has passed, making it critical to build these contingencies into your Hurricane Disaster Recovery Plan. You must be familiar with the precautions and hazards associated with recovery.
Before beginning work on your site in hurricane-affected areas, be sure to:
- Evaluate the site to identify any potential safety or health hazards.
- Plan and employ controls to mitigate potential safety or health risks.
- Establish proper monitoring systems before beginning work on tasks that require exposure to hazardous materials (e.g., lead, asbestos) or conditions (e.g., gases, fumes, noise).
Safe Practices for Your Team
A strong Hurricane Disaster Recovery Plan requires focusing on worker safety during cleanup. Ensure your team follows these safe practices:
- Establish an evacuation plan and notification system in case a secondary evacuation is required.
- Check first aid supplies, and ensure services are readily accessible for all employees.
- Thoroughly wash hands with soap and clean water, alcohol-based sanitizers, or sanitizing wipes.
- Do not consume food or water that has been in contact with contaminated water or objects.
- Use sealable containers for trash or debris disposal.
For more information on hurricane response and recovery, flood and wind emergency checklists, or a worksheet for creating an emergency action plan for your organization, please see our additional resources below.
Additional Resources:
Flood Emergency Checklist
If you don’t already have a Flood Emergency Response Plan in place, this checklist can help you prepare for potential flooding for potential flooding or recover once a flood has hit.
Wind Emergency Checklist
If you’re worried about wind damage, this checklist provides clear action steps you can take to protect your organization before, during, and after a windstorm.
Emergency Action Plan Worksheet
If your organization doesn’t have a clear, written emergency plan, use this simple worksheet to document steps and contact information of key personnel.
