East Coast businesses have had one curveball after another thrown at them over the last few months. First, Hurricane Sandy devastated residents and companies along the Eastern Seaboard. Then, just last weekend, Winter Storm Nemo dumped up to three feet of snow in some areas. Organizations across the nation should take note of the recovery process, to ensure that if Mother Nature makes her way to their location, they can not only weather the storm but have a quick recovery process as well.
When designing a business plan, owners must also account for commercial property insurance. A structure could seem fine on the outside, but damages from flooding and burst pipes can be far-reaching, and could be more expensive than originally anticipated.
For example, Kelly Ryan owns a summer-only, open-air eatery in New Jersey. She explained to the RedBankGreen online newspaper that her business - which suffered immense damages from Sandy - will have most of the construction costs covered by her landlord, but has to foot the bill on her kitchen equipment, all of which was lost or damaged beyond repair - including a pricey compressor for a walk-in refrigerator.
"Who could have expected this?" she said. "When [Hurricane] Irene hit, we had about a half-inch of water inside, and had to replace our floors. With Sandy, we had over four feet of storm surges wash through here."
Businesses and residents alike can take small precautions to protect their buildings against storms. Pipes can freeze from cold temperatures, so individuals should keep faucets turned on slightly so that water drips from the tap. It's also helpful to know how to turn off water valves should a pipe burst.
However, to avoid excessive, out-of-pocket repair costs, it is well-advised that owners partner with commercial insurance specialists to find a comprehensive policy that accounts for severe weather events.