Take Action: Hurricane
Is your facility prepared for the imminent threat of a hurricane? Preparing for severe weather events and knowing how to respond when they occur can help minimize damage and disruption to your organization.
- When a Hurricane Threatens
Create an inventory of your facility.- If your facility is flooded or damaged, this will make filing a claim much simpler.
Install hurricane shutters if available. Secure outdoor items or move them indoors if possible. Move furniture and valuables off the floor and, if possible, to higher floors of the building. Communicate with your people.- Make sure all people in your organization know what’s happening and are kept up to date with any relevant information.
- Keep all staff up to date on evacuation status and instruct people to evacuate or shelter in place depending on instructions of local authorities.
Secure your building.- Lock all doors and windows, close garages and turn off your electricity.
- After the Hurricane
Listen to local officials.
- Instruct all the people in your organization to stay where they are until officials give the all-clear. If they are in your facility, it may be too dangerous to leave shelter, and if they are away from the facility, it may not be safe to travel.
Listen to local officials.- Before re-entering your buildings, ensure it’s safe by avoiding visible structure damage, downed power lines or gas odors.
- Do not walk or drive through flood waters, as water currents can be stronger than they appear, and electricity could still be on.
- Wear protective gear as needed.
Prevent infectious diseases.- Don’t eat or drink anything that’s been in contact with flood water.
- Encourage the practice of good hygiene and hand washing/hand sanitizer when available.
Contact your insurance company.- Your insurance company needs to know about any damages to your facility as soon as it is safe to reach out. They will be able to advise you as to next steps.
Additional Resources
Keeping your organization's contact information up to date will help us serve you better, especially if we attempt to contact you before, during or after a weather event.
