Flood Tips for Businesses

4/24/2018 (Permalink)

If your business experiences flooding, call the restoration experts at SERVPRO of Fernandina Beach/Yulee at 904.729.2401!

Floods rank as one of the most common and widespread natural disasters in the United States. Whether you live near a coastline, along city streets, in the mountains, near a river or even in the desert, there is a potential for suffering flood damage. In fact, nearly 25% of last year’s claims paid by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) were for policies in moderate to low-risk communities. On average, floods cost $6 billion in annual losses in the U.S. Flooding can also result from plumbing failures, frozen pipes and damaged structures. Flood damage can affect your business operation in a variety of ways and can range in size from being isolated to a single room to entire floors being fully submerged.

Knowing how to prepare and deal with potential flooding in advance can affect how much of your property can be restored and how much has to be replaced. Below are prevention, mitigation and restoration tips to follow until help arrives:

Flood Preparation Tips:

•  Determine if your property is in a flood plain.
•  In any emergency, always listen to the instructions given by local emergency management officials.
•  Carefully assess how your company functions, both internally and externally, to determine which staff, materials, procedures and equipment are absolutely necessary to keep the business operating.
•  Plan what you will do if your building, plant or store is not accessible. This type of planning is often referred to as a continuity of operations plan, or COOP, and includes all facets of your business.
•  Plan for payroll continuity.
•  Review your emergency plans annually. Just as your business changes over time, so do your preparedness needs. When you hire new employees or when there are changes in how your company functions, you should update your plans and inform your people.
•  Visit:http://www.ready.gov/america/local/index.htmlfor a comprehensive plan and to learn about emergency plans.