Before the Storm: Preparing Your Business for Hurricane Season

With the now-infamous 2017 hurricane season still fresh in the rearview mirror, Central Floridians are likely feeling a bit anxious about the start of the 2018 storm season. While you cannot stop the storms from coming, we can take steps now to prepare your Brevard County business for hurricane season. 

As a business owner, responsibility for protecting your business assets generally falls mostly on your shoulders.

Even if you lease your space, you are still responsible for what’s inside – including both tangible and intangible assets. Here are six general contractor-approved tips for preparing and protecting your business ahead of a storm, and six more suggestions to consider when a storm is headed your way.  

Do It Now
  • Backup your data and digital assets on external hard drives and/or cloud-based storage
  • Create a plan for before, during and post storm, and share it with your employees
  • Asses your greatest risks (flood, breaking windows, building damage) and prepare materials and an action plan ahead of time
  • Figure out what’s insured, and what’s not
  • Take advantage of tax-free holidays to purchase supplies for your locations
  • If your business offerings are digital, investing in portable device chargers and WiFi hot spots for key members of your team will help them to get back to work, regardless of power and network status
When a Storm is Headed Your Way
  • Get everything up off the floor – even desks and book cases can be propped up on cinderblocks or bricks to avoid water damage 
  • Wrap electronics in plastic, put important documents in waterproof bags
  • Store anything that might be hazardous to others in the vicinity (such as construction or building materials, chemicals, etc.) in a safe, secure location
  • Take out the garbage ahead of time, call your waste removal team for special pickup, if necessary
  • Bring items stored outdoors close to your building, including vehicles 
  • Shut off the water prior to evacuating to 

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