Orlando, Fla.—Hurricane Season 2021 is officially beginning on June 1st, and it means you must take the necessary steps to keep your business investment and assets well protected against this type of weather events, so popular in the state of Florida, and many others on the west or east coasts.

To protect all that you have invested, it is important that you plan for and consider how your business will survive and recover in the event of a disaster. More and more Americans are dealing with the effects of weather-related disasters, power outages, cyber-attacks, and data loss. Any one of these events can be detrimental to a business of any size but often leaves small and medium-sized businesses vulnerable to business interruption or closures.

Keep A Preparedness Checklist

The following items should be gathered in one location at your place of business should a storm hit while you are on premises. This will help protect the safety of your employees should disaster strike during regular working hours and without ample notice:

• Battery operated radio or television.
• Non-perishable three day food supply for you and your employees.
• Three day supply of water for you and your employees (1 gallon of water per person, per day).
• Coolers and containers for water and washing.
• Blankets, pillows, cots, and chairs.
• First Aid Kit and first aid manual.
• Flashlights, batteries, light-sticks.
• Tool kit (basic tools, gloves, etc.)
• Camera and film for documenting damages.
• Whistle/signal flare to signal for help.
• Tarps, plastic bags, duct tape.
• Cleaning supplies, including mops, towels and garbage cans.
• Smoke alarms and fire extinguishers.
• Electric generator.
• Gas for vehicles, generators and other equipment.
• Cash, ATM cards, credit cards proper identification.
• Emergency contact information such as the nearest hospital and police, along with:
• Small Business Administration (SBA): 1-800-359-2227.
• FEMA Tele-registration hot-line: 1-800-462-9029.
• Insurance contact numbers and documents.

Protect the Property

• Invest in and install shutters or plywood in order to protect windows and doors from wind borne-debris.
• Have the roof of your building evaluated to ensure it can withstand a storm.
• Remove any branches or trees adjacent to your building that could potentially fall and damage it.
• Sandbag any area that is subject to flooding.
• Anchor and brace any large furniture vulnerable to wind (bookcases, shelves, filing cabinets) to wall studs.
• Secure valuable or fragile possessions.
• Secure all utilities including water heaters, gas tanks, and heaters and if necessary, relocate them to higher locations to avoid water damages.
• Secure electronics such as computers and other office equipment.
• Turn off all the utilities prior to a hurricane making landfall whenever possible.

Protect Important Documents and Information

• Designate important contacts to save that are crucial to business operations, such as employees, banks, lawyers, accountants, suppliers, etc.
• Back-up documents that are not easily produced such as insurance documents, legal contracts, tax returns, and accounting statements to avoid water damage. If necessary these documents in waterproof containers.
• Try to keep your documents and contact information in an alternate, accessible off-site location.

At Garzor Insurance our experienced professionals are dedicated to providing commercial insurance, including business general liability coverage in Florida as well as Georgia, Texas, and now many other states across the U.S.A. If you have questions about business insurance, or any other commercial insurance aspects, please do not hesitate to visit us online at Garzor Insurance, or you may want to call us directly at (321) 206-8035.