Hurricane Proof Your Business in 7 Steps

When it comes to hurricane season, preparation is key! This is especially important if you are responsible for a company. Hurricane Safety is as important for homeowners as it is for business owners. You have employees to consider as well as your building and business materials. While preparing your business for a hurricane may seem daunting, we have put together an easy to follow 7 step guide. The water damage specialists at 1-800-DRY-ME-OUT hope the following checklist will help you get prepared for this hurricane season!

Read the 7 steps here: 7 Steps To Get Your Business Hurricane Ready

Prepare Your Company For A Hurricane

Hurricane Safety is as important for homeowners as it is for business owners. To help you get prepared for this upcoming hurricane season and help prevent water damage to your place of business, here is a general checklist of what to do before, during and after a disaster: 1. Know Your Risk. Check your hurricane evacuation level and FEMA flood maps to determine if your business location is vulnerable to storm surge or freshwater flooding. Have your building(s) inspected by a licensed professional to find out if your workplace is vulnerable to hurricane force winds and what is recommended to retrofit. 2. Take the Necessary Precautions. If a storm threatens, secure your building. Cover windows. Cover and move furniture/equipment to a secured area. 3. Always Protect Your Data with Backup Files. If dependent on data processing, consider an alternate site. Make provisions for alternate communications and power. Read the rest of: Disaster Preparation: Hurricane Business Plan

2012 Hurricane Season Forecast

The 2012 hurricane season is quickly approaching. Beginning June 1st and lasting until November 20th, the Atlantic hurricane season is being predicted to be a tame season. Hurricane experts Phil Klotzbach and William Gray of Colorado State University have stated that the 2012 season should be considerably slower than normal with 10 named storms, including four hurricanes (two major).

Although a mild season is expected, that doesn’t necessarily mean mild storms are expected. Even if the season has only one hurricane, the hurricane could still be extremely dangerous. 1992 is recorded as being one of the least active hurricane seasons ever; nonetheless, the season brought forth Hurricane Andrew, a category 5 hurricane that caused $26 billion of damage. If you live in an area that is prone to hurricane and tropical storm activity, be prepared. Read the entire article here: 2012 Hurricane Season Forecast

How To Survive A Hurricane

The 2011 Atlantic hurricane season is a very active, above-average season that began on June 1, 2011, and will end on November 30, 2011.

So, it happens. You’re area becomes threatened with a hurricane.

Now what? Should you evacuate or stay? If you stay, what do you need to know? If you go, what then?

According to the National Hurricane Center, you should be able to answer the following questions in the face of a hurricane threat:

What are the Hurricane Hazards?
What does it mean to you?
What actions should you take to be prepared?

It is extremely important to be prepared for a Hurricane if you live in a hurricane prone area like Florida or any of the coastal states such as Louisiana or Texas. It is wise to have an emergency kit on hand as well as read through a Hurricane Preparedness Guide ahead of time. But what should you do if a hurricane strikes in your area?

Read on through this comprehensive guide on what to do and what not to do during a hurricane: How to Survive a Hurricane

1-800-DRY-ME-OUT is a full service water damage restoration company that provides emergency water removal, water mitigation, carpet drying, flood cleaning, mold remediation, fire damage, sinkhole and sewer cleanup services. 1-800-DRY-ME-OUT is located in Port Richey, Florida, and proudly services the West Gulf Coast of Florida. For more information, please visit http://www.drymeout.com

September Is National Preparedness Month

This month is the eight annual National Preparedness Month! Originally instituted by U.S. Homeland Security, this is a time when over 3,000 organizations are supporting emergency preparedness efforts and encouraging all Americans to take action. One goal of Homeland Security is to educate the public about how to prepare for emergencies, including natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods and tornadoes.

During September, emergency preparedness will focus on preparedness for the home and family, pets, older Americans, and individuals with disabilities and special needs.

The first step to being prepared is to have an Emergency Plan together. Make plans with your family and friends in case you’re not together during an emergency. Discuss how you’ll contact each other, where you’ll meet, and what you’ll do in different situations. Figure out your plan for your pets, livestock and for any family members who may require extra assistance. Read how to develop a Disaster Preparedness Plan.

The second step is to put an Emergency Kit together! An emergency kit includes the basics for survival: fresh water, food, clean air, and warmth. You should have enough supplies to survive for at least three days. Review the items recommended for an emergency disaster supplies kit here: Hurricane Emergency Kit. Click here for tips on what to put into a Pet Emergency Kit.

Next, be prepared by staying informed. Check all types of media – Web sites, newspapers, radio, TV, and social media – for global, national and local information. During an emergency, your local Emergency Management or Emergency Services office will give you information on such things as open shelters and evacuation orders. To keep track of weather alerts, check out websites like weather.com for severe weather alerts and the National Hurricane Center’s site http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/.

Finally, Americans are being encouraged to get involved. Homeland Security suggests Americans look into taking first aid and emergency response training, participating in community exercises, and volunteer to support local first responders. A great resource for getting involved in Citizens Corps: http://www.citizencorps.gov. The mission of Citizen Corps is to harness the power of every individual through education, training, and volunteer service to make communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to the threats of terrorism, crime, public health issues, and disasters of all kinds. Citizen Corps coordinates activities to make communities safer, stronger and better prepared to respond to an emergency situation.

1-800-DRY-ME-out urges all Americans to be prepared: assemble an emergency supply kit, make your emergency plans, stay informed, and get involved in helping your family, your business, your pets and your community be ready for emergencies!



GREAT LINKS:

Disaster Readiness for People with Disabilities or Functional/Access Needs

http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/disabled.html



Disaster Readiness for Seniors

http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/seniors.html



Military Family Preparedness

http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/military.html



Disaster Readiness for Pet Owners

http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/pets.html



Disaster Readiness for Livestock

http://www.americanhumane.org/animals/programs/emergency-services/community-preparedness/#livestock



Disaster Preparedness for Business:

Resources: http://www.drymeout.com/disaster-resources-florida-businesses

Preparation Checklist: http://www.drymeout.com/hurricane-preparation-business-checklist

Planning: http://www.drymeout.com/planning-business-hurricane-approaches



Sheltering in Place:

http://emergency.cdc.gov/preparedness/shelter/



Dealing with Stress During a Disaster

http://emergency.cdc.gov/preparedness/mind/



One Stop Hurricane Resources:

http://blog.drymeout.com/one-stop-for-online-hurricane-safety-resources/



1-800-DRY-ME-OUT is a full service water damage restoration company that provides emergency water removal, water mitigation, carpet drying, mold remediation, fire damage, sinkhole and sewer cleanup services. 1-800-DRY-ME-OUT is located in Port Richey, Florida, and proudly services the West Gulf Coast of Florida. For more information, please visit http://www.drymeout.com

One Stop for Online Hurricane Safety Resources

Hurricane season has begun! From June 1st to November 30, hurricane season is alive and well. To help you get through the season as safely as possible, here are a list of articles we have written compiled for your convenience. If you have any questions on hurricane safety or how to protect your property from hurricane flood damage, please contact us at 1-800-DRY-ME-OUT.



 

GENERAL HURRICANE SAFETY & INFORMATION:

Hurricane Preparedness Guide

Hurricane Emergency Kit

Hurricane Survival Guide

Hurricane Safety for Pets

Hurricane Proofing Windows

Hurricane Emergency Contact List for Florida

Tampa Bay Hurricane Facts

How to Clean Up After a Storm

 

HURRICANE INFORMATION FOR BUSINESS

Hurricane Preparation for Business: General Checklist

Hurricane Planning Before the Storm for Business

Flood Damage Prevention Plan

Flood & Water Damage Go Box

Disaster & Hurricane Resources for Business

 

Advanced Restoration, Inc. is a Water Damage, Hurricane Damage, Mold Damage, Sinkhole, Fire Damage, Sewer Damage and Emergency Disaster Recovery Restoration Company in Tampa Bay, Florida. Company Services Include: WATER DAMAGE EXTRACTION and RESTORATION; MOLD REMOVAL and MOLD REMEDIATION; STORM DAMAGE RESTORATION; FLOODS; HURRICANE DAMAGE; SEWER DAMAGE; Complete Restoration Services. Residential, Commercial & Industrial structures in the Tampa Bay Metro Area, Sarasota County, FL and Manatee County, FL. 1-800-DRY-ME-OUT Contact Us!

 

Expecting a Busy 2011 Hurricane Season

With the 2011 Atlantic Hurricane season upon us in 108 days, we thought we'd offer you a 2010 hurricane summary as well as current outlooks for the 2011 season.

The 2010 season was one of the most active on record with the most significant impact occurring across the Caribbean and Latin America. The 2010 season actually tied the 1995 and 1887 Atlantic Hurricane Seasons as third largest number of named storms. The 2010 season also ties the 1969 Atlantic Hurricane Season for second largest amount of hurricanes. In addition, the activity in the north Atlantic in 2010 exceeded the activity in the northwest Pacific Typhoon season. The only other known time this event happened was in 2005. Much of this hurricane activity is attributed to the effects of La Nina.

To summarize the 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season:

Total Depressions: 21
Total Storms: 19
Total Hurricanes: 12 of which 5 were considered Major (category 3 or higher)
Total Damage: At least $11.424 billion USD
Total Fatalities: 259 direct, 23 indirect

The five hurricanes that reached major hurricane status were Danielle, Earl, Igor, Julia and Karl respectively.

To read the list of named 2010 storms & hurricanes, please visit: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2010atlan.shtml

Read the remainder of this article as well as the 2011 Hurricane Forecast

Advanced Restoration, Inc. is a Water Damage Palm Harbor, Mold Damage, Sinkhole, Fire Damage, Sewer Damage and Emergency Disaster Recovery Restoration Company in Tampa Bay, Florida. Company Services Include: WATER DAMAGE EXTRACTION and RESTORATION; MOLD REMOVAL and MOLD REMEDIATION; STORM DAMAGE RESTORATION; FLOODS; HURRICANE DAMAGE; SEWER DAMAGE; Complete Restoration Services. Residential, Commercial & Industrial structures in the Tampa Bay Metro Area, Sarasota County, FL and Manatee County, FL. 1-800-DRY-ME-OUT Contact Us!