The Houston area is still deep in recovery mode from the devastating floods caused by Hurricane Harvey. Businesses and their employees have been impacted across a wide expanse of the city, and for some companies, the damage may be too great to overcome. However, many companies were completely spared from major damages or flooding, and there are several important lessons they can learn from the damage inflicted on our area. In today's Aegis blog post, we look at three lessons companies can learn from Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath.
Make Contingency Plans For Disasters
One of the biggest lessons companies can take away from Hurricane Harvey is that contingency plans are necessary in order to ensure a recovery is even possible. Contingency plans are beneficial across all industries, and for companies of all sizes, as they can help damaged businesses find a quick way to resume operations during the recovery process. These plans should include how to protect buildings, company vehicles, and employees in the event of an impending weather situation, as well as having important network and data files stored off-site with cloud-based servers for remote access. In addition, companies should make sure they have backups in place for temporary offices, suppliers and vendors, and temporary employees if necessary.
Don't Underestimate The Weather
Too often, company managers don't heed warnings about severe weather until it's too late, and as a result, the business may suffer damages that could have been avoided. When severe weather threatens our region, company leadership must hope for the best but prepare for and assume the worst, whether the threat is from hurricanes, floods, lightning, tornadoes, or hailstorms. By closing up businesses before major storms strike, companies can ensure that their building and property is better secured and that employees can make it home safely. This proactive step can help minimize both property damages and employee injuries.
Have Good Insurance Coverage
When Hurricane Harvey arrived in Texas, many companies took a gamble by not carrying the right kinds of commercial insurance to protect their business and assets. Sadly, a number of companies lost this gamble and now face thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars in expensive and time-consuming repairs and restoration, in addition to lost revenue. Damages and losses from Hurricane Harvey may have been caused by floodwaters, water damage from sewer backups and ruptured pipes, lightning, tornadoes, high winds, fire, utility disruptions, road closures, or tree debris.
By carrying the commercial insurance coverage that best fits their needs and protects their company, business owners give themselves the best chance for recovery and surviving the temporary closures caused by hurricanes and other natural disasters. Businesses must work with their insurance agent to determine what kinds of insurance policies are necessary based on their location, assets, size, industry, and needs.
Hurricane Harvey has made a lasting impact on the Texas Gulf Coast that will forever shape and transform the way companies big and small do business. By taking proactive steps now and learning from the lessons brought by such a devastating weather event, companies can better survive severe weather conditions and other catastrophic events. Aegis Insurance & Financial Services is pleased to be a leading provider of top quality Commercial Insurance solutions for businesses across Texas. Contact our friendly Aegis team at 713-850-7622 for more information about specific insurance solutions, or fill out our online form to request a free quote!