Hurricane Preparedness

According to the National Weather Service, a lack of hurricane awareness and preparation are common threads among all major hurricane disasters. You can reduce the effects of a hurricane disaster if you know your vulnerability and what actions you should take in the event of a storm, plus you can improve your odds for recovery from a disaster. National Hurricane Preparedness Week runs from May 25-31 this year, so now is a good time to get ready for hurricane season - Atlantic season begins June 1 and runs through November 30, while the Eastern Pacific season began May 15 and also ends November 30.

On average over the last few decades, hurricane seasons brought a total of 16 named tropical storms, with five growing into stronger hurricanes. (Item #1)   Information here from the National Hurricane Center could save lives. (Item #2)   The only effective way that a business can mitigate or diffuse the effects of a hurricane is to prepare for it. (Item #3)  

Hurricane Sandy taught many companies unfortunate lessons about the importance of disaster recovery planning; here are some of the lessons learned. (Item #4)   The time to prepare is now, not while the hurricane is bearing down on your location. (Item #5)   While not prepared for hurricanes only, this publication from FEMA can be immensely helpful in your preparations. (Item #6)  

As always, we look forward to hearing your comments & insights regarding business continuity. If you have a topic you'd like us to cover, email me at [email protected].

Bob Mellinger, President
Attainium Corp

1. Hurricane forecast: Lucky streak will end

Noted hurricane forecaster William Gray and his colleague Phil Klotzbach are predicting a "below average" number of tropical storms and hurricanes this year, due in part to a continuation of the Atlantic water circulation pattern that they now say helped suppress activity last year. They also say an expected strong "El Nino" effect -- the warming of water in the in the eastern Pacific Ocean -- will also help diminish activity.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20140515/ARTICLE/140519774/0/APN

2. Hurricane Preparedness - Be Ready

Two keys to weather safety are to prepare for the risks and to act on those preparations when alerted by emergency officials. This info from the National Hurricane Center contains helpful information plus links to many additional resources.
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare/ready.php

3. Ten steps that businesses should take before the wind blows

The main hazards caused by hurricanes most often involve loss of power, flooding, and the inability to access facilities. Businesses may also be impacted by structural damage as well. Precautions should be taken in the event that this occurs. Always prepare for the worst. The main effort, therefore, should be geared to assuring that your business can continue to function even though it may have experienced a prolonged power outage, flood, structural damage and/or the inability of employees to get to work. This article lists 10 recommendations for businesses in the path of a hurricane.
http://www.drj.com/drworld/content/w3_073.htm

4. Disaster Recovery: 10 Lessons from Hurricane Sandy

David Sarabacha, a principal with Deloitte & Touche LLP who specializes in resilience and recovery planning, says Hurricane Sandy reminded business leaders that thoughtful disaster preparation can pay dividends for a company's ability to weather a storm. He identified 10 lessons from the recent hurricane that can help businesses better prepare for the next crisis.
http://deloitte.wsj.com/cio/2012/11/29/disaster-recovery-planning-10-lessons-learned-from-hurricane-sandy/

5. How to prepare a business for a hurricane

Natural disasters are a simple fact of life. They can wreak havoc on entire regions, costing billions of dollars worth of damage to home and business owners. Hurricanes are monitored closely by weather agencies and local government officials, thus giving people a small window of opportunity to make preparations. However, the time to make hurricane preparedness plans for your business is in the off-season--not 72 hours before the storm makes landfall.
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/prepare-business-hurricane-16466.html

6. Business Protection Toolkit

Whether your organization is small or large, any efforts to improve preparedness are beneficial. PS-Prep™ offers several options toward preparedness: following best- practice programs, aligning to a standard, or certifying to a standard. Prepare to become resilient. Whether your entity may be affected directly, or via the supply chain, it's critical to have a plan in place--a plan that can protect your employees and organization, and enhance your overall ability to be resilient.
http://hurricanesafety.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/FEMA_PS-Prep_Toolkit.pdf