How To Prepare Your Business For the Next Hurricane

Published August 7, 2019 | By Dorien

Grand Strand Businesses and Hurricanes

If you own a home on the Grand Strand, you need our 2019 Hurricane Guide stat, to be ready when the next hurricane hits.

If you own a business on the Grand Strand, you will need that same Hurricane Guide and then some.

As a business owners you are not only responsible for your own family and home, but for the safety of your employees, as well as your commerical property.

Hurricane prep becomes of the utmost importance when you have more than a home and family to take care of.

In this article, we will point you to some important resources to have handy for when the next storm heads toward South Carolina, Myrtle Beach, and the Grand Strand.

Hurricane Preparedness for Business Owners

All of the guidelines and preparations you make to get your home ready for a possible hit during hurricane season apply to your business.

Preparations need to start now
Get supplies early before they run out
Create an evacuation plan
Know when a hurricane might arrive

All the info you need to get started TODAY is right here!

Just click on the image to find our 2019 Hurricane guide!

There is ONE big difference, however, and that is how you deal with and support employees before, during and after a hurricane.

Let’s discuss two scenarios next!

When Your Business Should Stay Open if a Hurricane Approaches

If your business is crucial to the well-being of first-responders and those not evacuating, you might consider keeping your business open as long as possible as the hurricane approaches.

Examples include

hardware stores
grocery stores
auto part stores
(some) restaurants
health clinics
pharmacies
security companies

and more.

It might be good to keep only a ‘skeleton crew of employees’ and send off those who want or need to leave to care of young children or elderly parents to do so or evacuate.

When Your Business Should Close if a Hurricane Approaches

If you, however, are a business that provides services or goods not crucial in supporting those who will work during a hurricane like that list we mentioned above, consider closing early to send your employees home so they can prepare their home to keep their family safe!

Businesses who sell non-essential* items or provide non-essential* services like

law offices
accounting offices
retail stores (clothing, shoes)
amusement parks
museums
universities

*for hurricanes

might want to consider closing early.

Roads will get clogged up as people try to evacuate and the sooner people can leave, the better.

When in doubt whether you need to close your business or not (if you are new to the business for example) look at similar businesses in other locations (for us that would be Florida).

A proven track record for staying open or closing early will give you the data you need to make this decision.

When in doubt, err on the safe side and close up shop, or open up for limited hours as the hurricane approaches.

Hurricane Recovery Info for Business Owners on the Grand Strand

In the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in 2018, Grand Strand Businesses stepped up big time. Their involvement with Hurricane recovery, rebuilding and outreach did not go unnoticed.

There are many ways businesses can help in the aftermath of a hurricane.

That includes

donating goods or services directly to hurricane victims
helping to raise funds for hurricane victims
offering dry storage space to charities to store supplies
being present with man-power to help clean up damaged and flooded homes
arranging food delivery to utility, FEMA and other workers from out of state who are helping

No matter what you do, every little bit counts and does get noticed.

Do good!