Focus on priorities: "You need to pick two or three priorities to focus on, " advises Joe Fernandez of the Disaster Management division of the City of Miami's Department of Fire and Rescue.
If you decide that's a generator, focus on having it installed and ready before the season begins. If it's arranging services for after the storm, whether it's hotel rooms or alternate delivery services, line up prenegotiated contracts before the season begins.
Here's a list of other tips to safeguard your business. * Windstorm insurance must be in place prior to a storm to cover losses caused by hurricanes and tornadoes. However, some insurance companies will allow businesses to purchase coverage up until a hurricane warning has been issued.
* Photograph or videotape your building or office before and after a hurricane hits. Make sure to keep these records off the premises.
* Make multiple backups of critical computer data and mission-critical documents and store them off the premises. These documents might include company checks and purchase orders, which will be vital for purchasing recovery supplies.
* Keep financial records, property and vehicle titles off the premises. You may need tax returns and financial records from prior years to support your business interruption claims and apply for SBA disaster loans.
* Mitigate water damage by unplugging all electronics, wrapping them in plastic and storing them in high and dry places. It's also wise to unplug all large appliances and electronics to prevent power surges when electricity is restored.
* Evaluate your short-term and long-term energy needs. Does your company require a generator? If so, you'll need to stock fuel for it.
* Elevate furnishings and machinery; grease and protect it if it can't be moved.
* Fill the tanks of company vehicles. Fuel may be in short supply after a hurricane and if there is a general power failure, gas pumps may not be working.
* Park vehicles in covered garages or against the leeward side of solid buildings. * Visit www.FloridaDisaster.org to determine your hurricane evacuation route.
* Keep a copy of emergency contact information for your insurance agent off the premises.
* Have a communication plan in place. Set up a meeting point to be used if both telephones and cellular phones fail. Make sure all your employees' emergency contact information is up-to-date.
* Make sure that you carry current identification. You may have to pass through identification checkpoints before gaining access to your factory or business after a hurricane.
* Prepare a portable hurricane kit that goes with you after you've secured your business for the storm. It might be a lightweight plastic container where you've stowed copies of essential documents, a battery-powered radio, batteries, a land-line telephone that doesn't require additional electricity to function, a laptop, a camera to document damage, and anything else essential to keep your business going.
* When the storm has passed, make temporary repairs to prevent looting or any further damage. For example, board up holes in walls and broken windows.
SOURCES: Safe at Work Florida, Florida Department of Financial Services, Florida Municipal Electric Association, staff reports.
