I still remember the last hurricane that hit South Florida.  It was Hurricane Wilma back in 2005.  It caused a lot of damage to South Florida homes, and offices.  But one of my lasting memories of coping with the aftermath of Hurricane Wilma was trying to cook when there was no power after the storm.  It proved to be challenging at times.

Full power was not restored in South Florida for some time after Hurricane Wilma.  Indeed, the gas lines were long after Hurricane Wilma as a direct result of the sustained loss of power.

I still remember being at a friend’s house cooking in his backyard BBQ when the power was suddenly restored.  I immediately jumped in my car and drove straight to the closest gas station to gas up my car.  But after gassing up my car, I returned to my friend’s house to continue cooking.

My employer at the time realized that many families could not eat a decent warm meal after Hurricane Wilma due to the loss of power.  So my employer had a generator brought into work that allowed a chef to cook warm meals for all of us to eat during lunch and take some warm and fresh food back to our homes.

We have been fortunate over the past several years in that South Florida has not been hit by a hurricane.  But that does not mean we should lay down our guard.  We should not only prepare, but reflect on the lessons learned from past storms to be better prepared for the aftermath of the next storm.

For instance, it goes without saying that any hurricane preparation plan should involve enough food and water for at least one week.

But if there is no power, how are you going to cook all that food that requires cooking?

I recall going to a friend’s house where we proceeded to cook just about all of our meat.  We used his commercial styled grill.  And all of the neighbors even came over to use the commercial grill to cook some meat.

You see, my friend was prepared.  He had a large industrial style BBQ and enough gas to last a week.  He had a freezer where the meat stayed cold long enough to permit us to cook the meat we needed before the meat went bad.

So the lesson I learned from that experience was to not only take full advantage of the outdoor grill, but to also have enough food on hand to make the food last.  Here are some quick tips and recipes to use as part of your hurricane preparation plan:

Charcoal or Gas Grill – use that grill to cook your meats stored in a freezer.  Before the storm hits make sure you have supplies on hand to ensure that you can properly operate your grill.  If you need a propane tank, for example, make sure you have one that is full.   With a grill, you can cook just about anything.  Don’t forget that you can even use a grill to warm up canned products.

Hot Plate – if you don’t have a grill, then consider purchasing a gas two burner hot plate.  You will generally find them in camping stores.  If you purchase this product, make sure to purchase enough fuel to last for at least a week.

Generator – if you have a generator, then hook it up to an electric skillet with a cover.  This will use much less energy than a range.

Be sure to keep a manual can opener, corkscrew and bottle opener on hand as well.

And here are some more examples of cooking after a storm that you may find useful.

And for vegetarian and vegan friendly hurricane prep food tips, try this.

It is vital for every business owner or professional to have a disaster plan in place that includes knowing how to assess damage, understanding how to properly file an insurance claim, and make the required repairs to get back to work as quickly as possible. Taking the wrong approach, or simply mishandling your potential insurance claim, could cost you a lot of money with respect to any claim that may ultimately be submitted to your insurance company.

In an effort to aid your hurricane season preparation, here are some suggestions that could assist you during this upcoming hurricane season’s adequately prepare.

• Make sure to copy and safely store your pertinent documents. For instance, make sure you have a copy of your property and casualty, as well as a copy of your business interruption insurance policy, and a copy of your lease agreement. You should maintain hard copies of these important documents in the event of a long-term power outage, but you should also store these documents digitally and off-site in a secure electronic environment. You should also safely store these documents in a manner that will allow you to gain very quick access to them in the event of a catastrophe.

• You should also safely make the appropriate arrangements to have copies of your last four years of income tax returns, and the last six months of your profit and loss statements safely secured. You’ll need the financial data in the event that you have to make a business interruption claim, and you will need physical copies of these documents should you not be able to gain access to them electronically.

• Keep an updated account of your inventory, and print that out as well. Be sure to inventory all of your office supplies such as computers, desk, chairs and paper since you can recover those losses. You should photograph all of these items as well.

• If you rent space, then it is imperative that you keep a copy of your lease agreement in a safe place along with all of the aforementioned other documents.

• Make sure to take photographs and/or video of your entire workspace, including your inventory and office supplies.

• Make sure to collect emergency contact information for all of your employees, suppliers, and vendors.

• Work with your senior staff to prepare a plan for a storm, fire, flood or other emergency. What are the contingencies that will allow you to get back to work quickly, and what are the variables that will prompt a long term shut down. Who will be in charge of getting your network back up? Who will be in charge of contacting your major clients? Who will be in charge of handling your insurance claim? Assigning these responsibilities in a calm environment prior to a storm striking will only aid the smooth transition to get back to work after a storm strikes South Florida.

• If you own the property, hire a licensed inspector or contractor to examine the roof, interior and other structural components in advance to the store. You do not want the insurance company to deny your claim by saying that your property had pre-existing damage. The best way to combat that argument is to conduct the appropriate inspection today.

• Prepare a list of preferred contractors that you can call on for all necessary repairs. Don’t wait for the insurance company to find someone. If the storm was a catastrophe, then that aid will be difficult to come by. Indeed, it will be incumbent upon you to repair your damages, and the best way to do that is to contact a contractor today and make arrangements to insure prompt repairs after a storm strikes out Florida.

• Communication is vital to any recovery. Make sure you have a plan for proper communication and one should anticipate disruptions in communications services, possibly for extended periods of time.
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Considering the increased odds of South Florida getting hit by a storm you should take the necessary steps to safeguard your property and business. That is particularly true since history suggests that South Florida is due for a hurricane strike. Therefore, this is certainly not the season to take lightly. We’ve been spared the last few years, but this could be the year where we are hit by another hurricane. Hurricanes are a fact of life living in South Florida. Although inevitable, they are not surprises like earthquakes or tsunamis. You can prepare and be ready for a hurricane. Call us today to discuss your hurricane preparation in greater detail.