Hurricane Preparedness Tips for Businesses

If your business is in the projected path of a hurricane, quick planning and action are needed to help protect your employees and your property. Preparedness is key to reducing overall downtime after a natural disaster.

Before and During a Hurricane

• Review your emergency response plan and responsibilities, including business continuity plans, to help prepare for business disruption. Create a plan if you do not have one.

• Pay close attention to weather forecasts to know when to take action.

• Confirm that your employee contact lists are up to date.

• Secure all doors and board up windows to protect against flying debris.

• Clean out floor drains and catch basins, and check sump pumps.

• Anchor and fill above-ground tanks with water or product to keep them in place during the storm.

• Fill the fuel tanks on your emergency generator and fire pumps. Fill your vehicles’ fuel tanks, too.

• Ensure that your fire protection equipment is operational.

• Make sure your important records are protected – or duplicate them and move them to a safe area offsite.

• Shut off process piping carrying gas or flammable liquids in case a pipe breaks in the storm.

• Shut down production processes safely and turn off the electricity for non-critical equipment.

• Move items inside that could blow away in a powerful windstorm. Items including yard storage and others that could become flying debris could cause substantial damage during a storm.

• Heed any evacuation orders from local emergency officials. 

• Evacuate your employees, if applicable.
• Do not walk, swim, or drive through flood waters.

Plan for Recovery

Once the hurricane has passed, use your employee call list to make sure everyone is safe and secure, and engage your business continuity plan, where needed.

During recovery, assign qualified employees and/or contractors to repair electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and fire protection systems. General clean-up should also occur. Assess damage and develop an action plan that addresses priorities.

• Look for safety hazards, including downed power lines, exposed electrical wires, and leaking gas.
• Check for structural damage to buildings or damaged foundations.
• Notify the alarm company and fire department of any impaired fire protection equipment and alarms.
• Check your water supply for contamination.
• Ensure you have the critical production equipment and valuable stock required to restore production.
• Check all mechanical equipment and systems for leaks and damage. Clean and dry them, as needed.
• Ensure an electrician has thoroughly checked, dried, and tested all systems and equipment before energizing electrical circuits.
• Remove and replace wet insulation.
• Complete temporary repairs so people can access the building safely.

Important: Maintain adequate security by performing a continual fire watch until normal operations can resume. Keep employees and customers informed about any unsafe conditions, and update them on the progress of salvage operations.

Sources:

Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Hurricane eMatrix General Recommendations for Working in All Impacted Areas. https://www.osha.gov/etools/hurricane/recommendations. Accessed April 23, 2026.  

Ready. Emergency Plans. https://www.ready.gov/business/emergency-plans. Accessed April 23, 2026. 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Hurricane safety, explained. https://www.noaa.gov/education/explainers/hurricane-safety-explained. Accessed April 23, 2026.