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Surviving A Rough Hurricane Season

Hurricanes have always been deadly, and facility managers in their path have no choice but to prepare.

By Bill Begal

Hurricanes are severe weather systems that develop over warm tropical oceans and exhibit sustained winds in excess of 74 miles per hour. These storms are capable of producing dangerous winds, torrential rains, and flooding, all of which may result in tremendous property damage and loss of life for coastal populations. In 1992, Hurricane Andrew was responsible for at least 50 deaths and more than $30 billion in property damage.

Last year saw some extremely dramatic hurricane activity. The media even coined the term “The Big Four of ‘04”—Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne. This quartet of powerful hurricanes ripped through Florida, killing 130 people and causing $22 billion in damage.

Weather professionals have predicted that the 2005 hurricane season (which began on June 1 and peaks in August through October) will be a record setter as far as damage is concerned. Experts are expecting a total of 12 to 15 tropical storms, seven to nine of which should become hurricanes. Three to five of those hurricanes could become major, with impacts on the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico.

For three consecutive weeks this year, severe storms have already disrupted oil production in the Gulf of Mexico, forcing shutdowns and evacuations of over 30 drilling platforms, according to one government agency. This reduction in oil drilling capacity will almost certainly be felt down the road as reduced oil production drives gas prices higher.

How Soon They Forget

Although memories of last year’s hurricane season are still fresh in the minds of Floridians, there are signs that residents in the nation’s stormier states are still not prepared for this year. A Mason-Dixon poll of coastal residents finds one in four do not plan to do anything in anticipation of upcoming storms, and almost half do not have a proactive disaster plan.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service, and other agencies monitor large storms. Over the last decade, FEMA has been heavily promoting the various ways businesses can prepare for weather calamities. The agency even coined the phrase, “Disaster Resistant Communities” for cities and towns that are well prepared for weather-related disasters.

When a minor or major disaster occurs, it is almost always too late to act properly without a plan that has been practiced in advance. Even in the worst disasters, people can save what’s most important if they take the time to be prepared. A plan that sits on the shelf or is not known by everyone is useless once a disaster is imminent.

Indeed, disaster preparedness planning is the key for any business office or facility when it comes to surviving hurricane season. There are services available that allow individuals and organizations to stay up-to-date and aware of what to do in the event of a disaster.

How To Prepare

Estimates of America’s fire and flood damage run into many billions of dollars per year. One in four businesses never re-open after a disaster takes place. Steps businesses can take in advance include:

1. Boarding up exposed windows and using special supports on furniture and shelves so they will not fall over unless the wall itself collapses.
2. Developing contingency plans in the event of a power outage. A good plan saves money, critical medical supplies, documents, and equipment, all of which saves lives.
3. Dealing with the aftermath may mean cleaning up a great deal of mud. Mud seeps into virtually everything it comes in contact with, and it is very difficult to remove entirely.
4. Preparing for heavy rain that accompanies strong winds associated with hurricanes should be a top priority. Uncontrolled water destroys documents, files, computer discs, and equipment. If possible, these items can be protected by removing them from the premises in advance. Computer disks should be backed up regularly or a remote backup service over the Internet can be used that will place data well out of the area of the storm’s influence.

More To Be Said About Water

As previously mentioned, the worst damage that a hurricane causes usually comes from water. Here are some additional simple steps that will help facility managers assess how much—and what type of—water damage has occurred, as well as what could be done to prevent such instances from happening again in the future.

• After a storm has passed, look for integrity in the external structure.
• Look at the walls, plaster, and building envelope.
• Check all sides of a building. Just because a storm comes from the east doesn’t mean that the western side of the building hasn’t been damaged. Storms often move in a circle; the exit can often do as much damage, if not more, than the entering side of the storm.
• Provided the integrity of the walls is fine, move up to the roof. Look for patterns of wind damage to shingles.
• Insurance companies often exclude “wind driven rain” from coverage in many policies, so facility managers may need to add extra coverage for this type of damage. (If you’re in a hazardous area, why not check your coverage as soon as you finish reading this article?)
• Flat roofs can completely lift off during a hurricane, especially if the building is near the eye of the storm. Be sure to check all expansion joints and seams. While checking the roof, make sure to examine all the mechanicals. Specifically, make sure that any fan covers or HVAC covers are still in place.
• Finally, walk around the perimeter of the building and look for any small cracks in the foundation or along the wall. Small cracks are often easily repaired, but if these problems go unresolved, water damage to the interior of the building is seldom far behind. The resulting damage from deferred maintenance often costs much more than if the repair had been performed in a timely manner in the first place.
• After checking the outside of the building, move on to the inside. Look behind any wallpaper, above any ceiling tiles, and be as thorough as possible in the search. If there is water in any crevice, make sure to address it immediately. Water that is allowed to fester in any location can lead to mold problems, which are substantially harder to fix.
• Look for sand. When sand gets into motors, it can cause them to overwork and burn out. Sand inside the building is also a great indicator that something may have been missed.

Finally, when making any inspections, it is best to use a digital camera to document the findings. This digital documentation will assist facility managers in the event that corporate officials need to see any damage. It will also prove to the insurance companies that a claim is warranted.

Getting Professional Help

When basic planning measures aren’t enough, many businesses will go through the process of consulting with a specialist. Specialists are available to prepare customized plans and take into account any specific needs a business may have in preparing for a hurricane.

These services take a team-based and holistic approach to preparedness. They examine both the internal assets that have an immediate and direct effect, as well as often overlooked external influences that may come into play in a hurricane situation.

Examples include:

• Insurance companies and policies;
• Industrial and office equipment;
• Banks and banking contingencies;
• Utility providers and power and utilities alternatives;
• Suppliers and alternate supply strategies;
• Local government and security issues;
• Employee support and assistance;
• Employers of surrounding companies; and
• Customers and clients.

Disasters like hurricanes are bound to happen in areas prone to such weather. By taking a few precautionary measures before the storm occurs, a company can save its most important and irreplaceable assets.

However, after a hurricane strikes, the next question becomes, “What do I need to look for in my building?” At this point, it is often too late to ask the question—particularly when the answer is one that no one wants to hear.

Begal is founder and president of Begal Enterprises Inc., a full-service fire and water restoration provider based in Rockville, MD. For more information, visit www.begal.net or e-mail Bill Begal at bbegal@begal.net.

Are hurricanes a problem for your facility? Share your experiences by sending an e-mail to schwartz@groupc.com.