It's Good Business To Prepare for Disaster 

Release Date: May 1, 2009
Release Number: FNF-09-013

Restoring business is an important part of recovery from disasters. Businesses that plan for disaster before a storm typically have less damage, loss, and downtime than those that do not. It's a good reason, according to federal and state officials, to include disaster preparations in the normal course of business planning.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency  endorse disaster readiness for businesses not only as a means to reduce damage and loss but also as a way to help a community recover after a disaster.

Businesses should consider several elements in preparing for a disaster. Not only is it important to protect the staff, building, data and inventory of a company during a damaging event, it's also critical to prepare a plan to continue operations after most everything is destroyed. A good plan may include provisions to relocate to a pre-identified site; retrieve data, including employee, customer and vendor records; and a way to operate efficiently with a smaller staff of key individuals.

There are Internet resources available to help with disaster planning for businesses. FEMA provides a step-by-step approach to emergency planning, response and recovery for companies of all sizes in its Emergency Management Guide for Business and Industry, a checklist for business recovery and other "how to" resources at www.fema.gov/business and www.ready.gov .

The Institute for Business and Home Safety, www.disastersafety.org/text.asp?id=commlines, developed the Open for Business Toolkit, which provides the means to develop both property protection and business continuity plans for small-business owners.

The U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) Web site at www.sba.gov/disaster_recov/prepared/getready.html offers disaster preparation tips and a list of topics business owners should consider in planning.

Protecting one's property from flooding is not a concern strictly for residential property owners or renters. Business owners may consider purchasing flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The proceeds of a claim payment are usually received within a very short period of time, allowing insured property owners to restore their normal course of business. For questions concerning the NFIP, contact a local insurance agent or the NFIP Call Center at 866-925-8789.

Last Modified: Monday, 04-May-2009 09:43:03