The Gulf Coast is remembering the horrors of Hurricane Katrina as we approach August 29th, the fifth anniversary. This week, the 18th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew slid by without a murmur. Although we can all agree that Katrina’s impact was more horrific for more people, Hurricane Andrew re-shaped the lives of thousands of Floridians who lived through the storm and its aftermath.
Do you have a hurricane plan? What is your plan if your office is destroyed? Any size company needs to have an idea of where to go if their building is destroyed. When I represented one landlord, every June we were contacted by Allstate and State Farm requesting our inventory of large blocks of office space. After Andrew, these companies set up claims center with us. They were able to be operational very quickly. How quickly would you be able to get up and running?
In June, at the beginning of hurricane season, key personnel from my company held a meeting for 19 clients. Over 50 people participated in this meeting including clients, key vendors, and property managers. They updated their hurricane plan and discussed procedures. My company, CB Richard Ellis, represents major institutional landlords across the world and this meeting included significant landlords across Florida and the Gulf Coast
Please use the grim reminders of Katrina and Andrew as reasons for dusting off your emergency plans and updating them. Please make sure the contact information for all of your employees and key vendors is current. If you use back-up tapes for your computers, purchase new ones – they do wear out. If you need a more extensive emergency preparedness plan, contact me and I will provide you with a list.
