As a severe storm consultant, I’m often asked: “How bad will this hurricane season be?”The question is a purely scientific one and the answer is irrelevant if you live in the hurricane zone.
Case and point: In 2010 there were 12 hurricanes in the Atlantic. It was the second highest number on record. However not ONE hurricane impacted the U.S. coastline.
Was that a busy season? It was for researchers and scientists but not for you.
Contrast that to 1992. There were only 4 hurricanes that year and only one of them made landfall: the infamous Category 5 Hurricane Andrew.
Now was that a busy season? It certainly was for South Florida.
When it comes to risk, South Florida is one of the most hurricane prone regions in the country. We face the prospect of a storm each and every year.
This year is the 10th anniversary of both Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma. It’s also the last time a hurricane has not only struck South Florida but anywhere in Florida. This streak is unprecedented in the historical record dating back to the 1800’s!
Going that long without a major storm has its consequences. Right now, many in Florida are suffering from a bad case of hurricane amnesia.
Even those that do have a plan in place may not realize it has serious gaps.
Of course, hospitals and medical facilities are required to have emergency plans in place. They are regularly reviewed and even practiced.
However, those plans can’t be effective if front line employees don’t have a plan of their own. Smart managers need to start thinking about everyone on their staff and how a storm might impact them away from the hospital.
Here are some questions that need answers before the next hurricane season starts:
• Is the contact and/or emergency information for your employees up to date? Usually we fill that out when we start a job and it’s rarely looked at again. Make sure you have their most up-to-date information. Be sure to include at least one or two out-of-town contacts as well.
• How many of your employees live in hurricane evacuation zones, and do they know where they will go if asked to leave?
• Are they responsible for children, elderly parents and/or pets?
• What if they rely on childcare and those facilities are unavailable?
• What is your organization’s chain of command? If key people are not reachable or available, do employees know who is in charge and capable of making decisions in their absence?
Encouraging employees to answer these questions and develop a plan will get your organization up and running a lot faster and keep it operating during an actual emergency.
