Always Have a Plan when the Storm Hits

12/14/2020 (Permalink)

Prepare your building before big storms hit.

When your business is in danger from a storm you can’t afford to risk your investment to water damage from a flooded building. Prepare your commercial property for an oncoming storm and minimize the damage as much as possible.

5 Steps to Prepare Your Commercial Property For Oncoming Storms 

1. Have a Plan

Your first priority should be to have a plan set for when a disaster hit. This plan needs to have clear steps to outline what to do in an emergency. The plan should include how to protect your building’s structure which may include boarding up windows or cutting back trees, how to safeguard your equipment by placing everything off the floor, and the first steps of how to recover by pumping out water and removing wet materials.

2. Protect Your Investment

Be ready to minimize damage with weatherproofing. This can include sandbagging the exterior of your building, installing weather stripping, moving your equipment and inventory to higher ground, and sealing any leaks. Minimize as much damage as possible by preventing stormwater from intruding on the building.

3. Make Backups

One of the most important things you can do is back up your business data. You always want to have a few different ways to back up your office information.

4. Know Your Evacuation Routes

When the storm comes, your first instinct may be to stay as long as possible to ensure your building is appropriately protected. Instead, you should be focusing on safety. Lost inventory, equipment, and data can be recovered.

5. Have your insurance information at hand and know the process to file your claim. 

Every insurance policy is unique.  Check to see if you have a flood policy. Even if you are not in a mandatory flood insurance area, consider getting the insurance since we do live in a flood prone area.  Do you have adequate content coverage?  Loss of business income coverage?  Work with your insurance professional, be sure you have all your bases covered well in advance of a storm.

Here at SERVPRO of Bath, we have cleaned up after many storms in our area.  We also are unlimited licensed builders with over 40 years experience to repair your building. You focus on safety, and we will take care of the rest.