Florida Hurricane Information
Are you ready?
If you hesitated or answered no, then now is the time to start planning. You have spent so much time and money safeguarding your business, your home and/or your family, why would you let it be ruined by a simple oversight in your protection planning?
At Advanced Insurance Underwriters, we’re in the business of “just-in-case.” We want to ensure that you, our client and fellow Florida resident, have the proper knowledge and forethought to protect the people and things you value most. Our business and individual hurricane preparedness plans provides a particular coverage that Floridians need most.
Business Preparedness
All Florida businesses should have a disaster plan in place. Depending on how susceptible your business is, you might carry more risk than others. Here are some helpful tips on how to rate the vulnerability of your business.
- Know the elevation of your business and identify any neighboring bodies of water.
- Know the condition of your building. What building materials were used during construction? How old is it? When was the last time the roof was replaced?
The next step is to identify multiple evacuation routes. Depending on the projected path of the hurricane, you might have to take one route over another. Also, prepare for any potential traffic issues that may arise due to road conditions.
After you have gathered all your information, make a detailed plan with the following in mind:
- Which members of your staff will you need- Your building maintenance staff is usually a good place to start. Anticipate the fact that many employees will not be on the premises because they will be assisting family.
- Designate specific tasks to each employee and form teams to perform larger tasks.
- Identify important business records that need to be brought along in the event of evacuation.
- Back up all computer records.
- Strongly anchor any portable storage facilities.
- Train yourself and staff on how to turn off the electric power source, water and gas.
- Familiarize yourself with Individual plan. Many of the storage and building protection techniques are universal to disaster survival.
Individual Preparedness
If you decide to wait out the storm instead of evacuating, you should take the following steps to ensure survival should the storm last longer than expected:
- Store supplies—fresh medical supplies, clean water, and sealed, non-perishable food are just the bare essentials. Other supplies you’ll need include waterproof, battery operated flashlights and radios, a whistle or other sound signal device and a pocket multi-tool like a Swiss army knife. You should also include any other supplies pertinent to your family like medications or medical records.
- Have an evacuation plan in place.
- Retrofit home with hurricane safety modifications as funds allow. If not, reinforce garage and entry doors, board up all glass from the outside to prevent shattering and debris entry, and build sandbag blockades around your home to divert excess water.
Please take all our recommendations into consideration. Hurricanes are dangerous and unpredictable. Disaster preparedness is your only chance of weathering the storm.
