Hurricane Preparedness for SMB

Current Category Stage of Hurricane Irma:

CATEGORY 5 - Winds greater than 155 mph: The most deadly and destructive category. Complete roof failures and destruction of residences and industrial buildings. Shattering of glass in windows and doors# Storm surges and widespread flooding.

Regardless of the category' hurricanes can cause both coastal and inland hazards. High tides and flash floods caused by storm surges are likely coastal hazards. Continuous rainfall and runoff from high ground areas causing flooding in low lying areas is an example of an inland hazard. In addition,' inland areas on high ground normally experience damage due to hurricane winds. Building debris is carried by the wind throughout the affected area.

We are closely watching Hurricane Irma. It is is currently nearing the northern Leeward Islands, moving west, and has been upgraded to a Category 5 storm. At this time, it is projected to impact the Florida peninsula as a dangerous hurricane this weekend, potentially causing high winds, heavy rain, coastal flooding and widespread power outages. Some models are showing that Irma may turn north and travel through Florida. Here are some items that you need to be aware of along with a list of Tips & Tricks for your business:

• Review property insurance with your insurance agent to discuss adequate hazard, flood & Business interruption insurance.
• Establish written hurricane procedures for protecting business property and its contents.
• If necessary, train employees to implement hurricane procedures.
• Specify a timeline for when the hurricane procedures will be implemented.
• Determine what emergency equipment and supplies are necessary (e.g., heavy plastic sheeting, duct tape, masking tape, sandbags, emergency generator, storm shutters, chain saw, plywood, and other hand tools).
• Establish an emergency communication line to be used by employees and their families to obtain status reports and information pertaining to available assistance.
• Establish an employee alert roster, which will be used to notify employees that your hurricane plan has been activated. The alert roster will also be used to check on the status of employees during and after the hurricane.
• If you have a local backup system (hard drive) Friday it's absolutely imperative that any and all backups leave the premises of your location.
• If you don’t have a cloud backup solution already in place for scenarios like this we absolutely suggest you contact your IT company for assistance or reach out to the Shield Watch team to better assist you with the right solution that meets your needs and budget. Remember it's never too late to install a cloud backup solution to alleviate this strain on the business. Contact your account manager today for more information.
• If you plan to remove your server(s) from the premises keep in mind the server, it's services like Exchange, File Serving, File Access will not be accessible until the server is back in place and has power. Shield Watch recommends that any business-critical machines are removed from the premises.
• All workstations on the floor should be moved on top of desks to avoid any water damage.
• If you don’t have a secondary internet service provider (ISP: i.e. Spectrum or Frontier) we can help you get in contact with a rep that can ensure redundancies are in place for next time. At this time both companies have a high-volume load which won’t be alleviated until after the storm passes.

As always if you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to reach out to the Shield Watch team. Thank you! 

Additional Hurricane Preparedness Tips:

• Business Checklist
• Hurricane Survival Guide for SMB
• Disaster Planning Can Reduce Time to Recovery and Expense
• Hurricane Preparedness - Be Ready (National Hurricane Center)
• Is Your Business Hurricane-Ready?
• Hurricane Harvey: Tips to Prepare Your Business

Link to Blog Article: https://shieldwatch.com/blog/hurricane-irma-preparedness/