Disaster Recovery Plan

Weather-related issues such as hurricanes, tornadoes, mudslides, monsoons, heavy winds, rain, hail, ice and snow buildup, and more can inflict damages of a wide variety to commercial and residential properties. Natural disasters are seemingly more and more common in a widespread number of places around the U.S., so it might be time you rethink your recovery plan if a disaster should strike your property.

You may have never given thought to how you might react or who you need to call if this happens on your property.  With these simple steps, you can ensure that you have all the tools you need in place to make the right decisions after a disaster occurs:

1. Have an emergency contact on your speed dial that you can be confident will answer your call at any time of the day or night. Time is of the essence! It might simply be a subcontractor who can come and fix a leaking pipe or faulty electrical outlet, or you may need to call in the calvary and hire a restoration contractor that can stop the heavy bleeding by handling all the emergency mitigation work needed to stabilize and restore your damaged property to pre-loss condition.

2. Next, you will need to call your insurance company in order to alert them of the situation, relay photos of the damage, cause of the damage (if known), and time of occurrence. A meeting with the insurance adjuster onsite should follow as soon as possible after the initial report to your insurance representative/provider.

3. Have a designated temporary dwelling location in place or temporary shelter and supplies for any tenants that have been displaced from their primary dwelling while the property damage is being evaluated and mitigated.

4. Ensure the damaged property/properties are properly stabilized, secured, and properly labeled to prevent any unauthorized pedestrians/residents/subcontractors from entering the worksite or becoming seriously injured.  Safety is key!

Property damage can strike with little or no warning, and I hope this information can ease some of the stress.  I wish every one of you a happy and healthy remainder of 2023!