Flooding at Your Place of Business

3/8/2022 (Permalink)

Preparing for a flood is one of the smartest things that a business owner can do, even if they are not in an area typically prone to flooding. Statistically, 90% of natural disasters involve flooding and commonly impact areas that are not usual flooding targets.

Increasing your emergency preparedness by planning for a flood is a great idea not only for the safety of yourself and your staff but also for the continuity of your business. By planning in advance and preserving documentation, you can be more prepared to reopen after the flooding passes.

How to Prepare

It is not uncommon for business owners to not know where to start on flood preparations, but thankfully there are many resources out there. Some things to do include:

• Use the FEMA Flood Map and locate your building in order to determine any geographical risks you might face.
• Place copies of important documents in a secure location you will be able to access following a flood.
• Educate employees on your official flooding action procedures, which will ensure everyone knows what their role is in a flood scenario.
• Identify evacuation routes from various locations around the building and host regular drills.
• Consider the idea of adding flood insurance to your business policy.
• Store non-perishable food and water in case you face wait times for emergency personnel to arrive.
• Raise up any valuable electronics out of the water’s path.

How to Decide What Documents to Copy

When it comes to copying documents, it is better to have anything you think you might need instead of failing to remember something. Some important things to include are:

• An outline of your business continuity tasks
• Means of contact for any staff members and third-party services you may need to contact
• Your insurance agent’s contact information
• Detailed steps for recovering computer files that have been backed up
• Financial documents such as bank account information

If your business has experienced a flood, we are always here to help. Call us at 805-473-0772 to get our team of professionals to your business quickly so you can get back on track.