Plumb Safety: Prepare for An Unpredictable Hurricane Season

Preparing for an Unpredictable Hurricane Season
Hurricane season is quickly approaching, and recent forecasters don’t seem quite sure what to expect.

According to the Weather Company, there are two main factors impacting predictions. For one, El Nino is likely forming which could indicate a milder hurricane season. Conversely, the Atlantic Ocean is warmer than usual, which could signal an active hurricane season. Currently, the Weather Company is forecasting fifteen named storms, seven of which will become hurricanes and three of those are predicted to reach Category 3 or higher.

In any case, one heavy storm is enough to gravely impact a lumber business, destroy property and cause financial damage. Just look to the record losses in the 2022 hurricane season, which took the powerful punch of Hurricane Ian and resulted in overall losses of $110 billion. With the threat of losses like those, lumber business owners need to be prioritizing hurricane preparation, leveraging loss control strategies and securing insurance coverage to weather the storm.

Consider the following best practices to protect your business ahead of hurricane season:

• Assess risks & address them: To fully understand your risk exposures and how they can be exacerbated by a weather incident, consider conducting a risk assessment of your business. The assessment should include checking for roof damage or structural issues and noting any unnecessary outdoor equipment to free-standing structures. This may be a good time to consider investing in a generator as power outages are a significant risk during a tropical storm or hurricane.

• Plan & train: After a risk assessment is done, lumber businesses should create a plan that outlines specific roles and tasks for employees in the event of a storm. Employees should be trained on their emergency roles as well as regular tasks to maintain hurricane defenses. Tasks might include tree upkeep, generator maintenance, grounds maintenance and more.

• Secure adequate insurance: Business owners do not want to wait until a major storm loss to find out their insurance coverage is not going to cover it. Consider contacting your insurance agent or broker for an insurance portfolio evaluation to ensure the business is insured to value and covered for property loss, business interruption and more.

Hurricane predictions can be helpful in terms of preparations, but regardless of what the forecast calls for business owners need to expect the unexpected. Do not wait until the first tropical storm of the season. Reach out to PLM for a site visit and risk assessment today. For additional information on mitigating risks to your lumber business during storm season, visit PLM’s loss control guides.