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When Severe Weather Strikes
Have you ever considered the catastrophic effects a hurricane, tornado or severe thunderstorm may have on your business and your employees? After Hurricanes Andrew, Fran and Floyd slammed into the United States, security and facility managers throughout the southern part of the nation realized the need to prepare detailed severe weather plans to protect their business and employees from hurricanes and other severe weather conditions.In addition to planning, a comprehensive recovery plan is necessary to help your business get back on track after a disaster strikes. It can make your company a "hero" to those clients and customers desperate for your services and products in the wake of severe weather. Be prepared for tornado's and hurricanes at work and at home.
Developing the Plan
The first stage in creating a disaster plan is the formation of an emergency preparedness team. Involve members of management and staff so the team reflects a diverse representation of the corporation. Once the team has been formed, they need to determine the potential risk to the business posed by various types of severe weather.
Familiarize all team members with the potential effects of severe weather and their different impacts, their strengths, how they are measured, and the unique weather conditions that are associated each type of storm. For instance, the Saffir Simpson Scale should be used to measure hurricane strengths and potential for damage.
Determine your risk status. Winds, rain, storm water, and tornadoes, are usually the main natural forces you must take into account. Each one causes specific damage and you need to be familiar with your risk status for every single one. If a unique situation exists, document those conditions in your plan and then modify it to include specific strategies and preparations.
Course of Action Guidelines
The following guidelines were prepared to assist your business in preparing for a weather emergency.
1. Disaster procedure documents are essential to your operational recovery. Prepare the following:
- Personnel: include current home addresses and phone numbers. It is a good idea to obtain secondary phone numbers.
- The phone numbers of all regional and main office departments.
- Listing of all accounts. The accountant's office may suffer more damage than yours. Prepare back-up copies of all computer files and store them in a secure location. Practice backups daily to prevent confusion during the approach of a storm.
- Copies of insurance policies. Include the phone number and address of the local and the regional insurance office. Make certain your building; property, records and merchandise are covered for all forms of storm damage. Some polices may pay for damages to the structure but not for secondary interior damages or merchandise damaged by rain after the roof is damaged.
- Listings of repair companies. Make certain these people can respond to your needs. You may need to create a second list using companies outside of a 50-mile radius to prevent delays if the local companies are unable to respond. Letters of agreement may be needed.
- Determine who will be responsible for maintaining these materials.
- Who will get a copy of records and how many copies are needed?
- Where will they be stored? How secure is the storage area?
2. Establish a chain of command with clear descriptions of duties and responsibilities. Determine the desired line of authority should a Manager/supervisor be injured or unable to report to work. Practice this procedure in daily operation so all of your staff is familiar with their duties, responsibilities, and supervisors.
- Establish a communication chain for employees.
- Provide employees with an emergency phone number to learn what work schedules will be used.
- If phone service is uninterrupted, delegate one person to receive calls from the rest of the staff.
- Use one designated company phone to provide a message to employees.
- Notify your staff if radio announcements will be used and which stations will broadcast them. Local radio stations require arrangements to be made in advance of any storm event. Most stations require the use of code and/or passwords before they announce information. Many stations may not carry bulletins for small companies. Make your contacts now.
- One of the best methods of employee notification is to designate a reporting location that all employees are to come to regardless of receiving a call. This way recovery may begin with staff that is free and able to report to work.
- Determine in advance if your company will modify or discontinue operations during a storm. Have complete plans for closure/reduction procedures and announcements.
- If your business is susceptible to looting and vandalism make arrangements for security to protect the facility before, during and after the event.
- After the event, business operations may be difficult because of shortages of personnel and materials. Clean up may restrict normal business operations. It may be necessary to stockpile operational materials on site, or at a location outside the area affected by the storm.
- Generators may be a solution that will allow a portion of your operations to continue until normal electrical service is restored. Determine the size and loads that must be supported. Modifications to the existing system may be necessary. Remember to plan for your generator's fuel needs.
- Transportation Employees may not be able to report because of a lack of transportation or blocked roads. Establish a buddy or communication system to help employees.
- Deliveries to customers. Know the number of daily deliveries and customer priority. Learn from local officials which roads are planned to be opened. Also learn which roads are susceptible to tidal and storm water flooding. Flooded areas may be impassable for a long time.
- Receiving of shipments. Inform shippers on a regular basis of your ability to receive goods. Attempt to delay shipments if the need arises.
- Post maps daily with routes open for all employees to use.
- Disposal
3. Refuse services will be reduced due to debris filled roads and storm damage. Make plans for temporary on-site storage. Consult State and Federal agencies now to determine which materials will be allowed on site.
4. The disposal of hazardous materials will be more burdensome after a storm. Make arrangements with secondary facilities outside the area to accept hazardous waste in the event your primary facility is damaged and not able to accept the waste you generate.
5. The company will need to answer staffing questions:
6. Will the company provide meals for employees during clean up and recovery?
7. Will the storm team be provided with food during the storm?
8. Will the company provide first aid supplies? Does the business normally dispense medicines? If so, daily quantities are needed and must be inflated to address storm effects.
9. Will the company be able to assist or provide temporary shelter to employees?
10. Will the company be able to assist or provide temporary childcare to employees?
Identify the business units that process critical and/or necessary business functions which are required for the survival of the company. For example: Payroll, computer or data center.
1. Develop procedures and a listing of resources needed to recover these critical and necessary functions.
2. Identify those vendors and recovery services that must be notified if a disaster occurs (those whose assistance is vital).
3. To avoid either chaos or confusion being experienced during a crisis by documenting, testing and reviewing disaster procedures.
4. Identify alternate sources for supplies, resources and locations.
5. Document storage, safeguarding and retrieval procedures for vital
records.
Once you have tackled these issues and established your business needs, capabilities, and procedures, you have completed the initial phase of your planning process. Utilize the information gathered in this phase to construct key plan elements, such as control, communications, life safety, protection of property and personnel, outreach, and continuation of facility functions and administration.
Checklists are useful to complete the activities required, determine damage, protect employees and property, and get back into full operation.
Support documents such as lists for employees' phone numbers, contractors' numbers, hazardous materials inventory and floor plans showing utility shutoffs should be included in the plan.
Seek ideas and information from all outside sources. Include governmental agencies as well as other businesses. Do not be afraid to revise it as conditions change. Your plan needs to be as flexible and focused as any other tool your operation uses.
Notification of Severe Weather
Because tornadoes and severe thunderstorms occur with little, if any, warning; minutes, even seconds can mean lives. In just five minutes, a tornado can travel two to four miles on the ground. From the time the National Weather Service (NWS) issues a warning, to the time you receive that warning via radio or television, ten minutes may have elapsed. Also, you must be listening at the critical moment that the warning is announced or an even greater amount of time will pass!
The fastest, most accurate and reliable means of receiving critical weather information is through a NOAA Weather Radio with a "tone alert" feature. You will receive the warning directly from the National Weather Service in just a couple of minutes from its issuance. These radios can be purchased in electronic stores and generally cost between $40 and $80.
Readiness Levels
In order to coordinate activities of all people involved in the plan, it is recommended that your plan incorporates appropriate levels of readiness. A plan that was recently developed by one of our clients features a four-color level of readiness for severe weather. The colors provide an easy-to-reference checklist of activities when each color level is reached. For example, the general response to severe thunderstorms and tornados:
Condition Blue
The sky is blue but there is a threat for severe weather later in the day. Condition blue is designed to give notice to all people concerned that severe weather may threaten the area and people should arrange their plans as necessary.
Condition Green
When a severe weather watch issued, condition green is implemented. It is strongly recommended that equal consideration be given to both a tornado watch and severe thunderstorm watch.
Condition Yellow
Yellow indicates extreme caution. Condition yellow is an intermediate step to insure the highest state of readiness.
Condition Red
Condition red is initiated when either a tornado or severe thunderstorm warning is issued. Unlike severe thunderstorms and tornados, we typically have several days to prepare for a hurricane. The coordinator of the emergency preparedness team should implement Condition Blue when a hurricane or tropical storm watch is issued. Since hurricane and tropical storm speed, direction, and intensity can be unpredictable, Condition Blue could be implemented as early as 72 hours in advance. The other levels are enacted at specific times as a storm approaches. These times may need to be modified if the storm approaches during a weekend or holiday or if your business has special needs.
Recovery
In the event of any disaster, public services may be reduced during the critical recovery periods. Businesses need to be prepared to be relatively self-sufficient. Outlines for recovery plans are available from many sources. Regardless of the source, the plan needs to be prepared and reviewed annually and modified as necessary to address unique local circumstances.
The Completed Plan
Once the plan has been written, approved, and distributed the plan should be implemented. Several years may pass before your facility is affected by severe weather. Do not let all of your hard work sit on the shelf until then. For any plan to work efficiently, it must be practiced and reviewed frequently. A general rule of thumb is to review your plan by June 1 of each year.
Protecting Your Family
Regardless of where you live, it?s time to get ready for any stormy weather that might head your way this summer. Whether it?s extreme heat, severe thunderstorms or threats of a tornado, peace of mind is knowing your family is ready for the worst.
Your family will cope best by preparing for disaster before it strikes. One way to prepare is by developing a disaster plan and assembling an emergency supply kit. Planning for severe weather emergencies in advance will help your family endure an evacuation or home confinement.
A good resource for helping you develop a family disaster plan is the American Red Cross. Their website contains downloadable .PDF documents relating to hurricane, flash flood, and tornado emergency preparedness.
HELPFUL WEBSITES FOR SEVERE WEATHER PREPAREDNESS
- The Weather Channel
- WRAL TV
- Federal Emergency Management Agency
Bill Paynter, CPP
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