The last several hurricane seasons have seen an increase in the activity in both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The 2019 Pacific hurricane season featured 19 named storms, and the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season was the fourth in a consecutive series
of above-normal years, featuring 18 named storms.
The 2020 hurricane season is quickly approaching, starting May 15 for the Pacific and June 1 for the Atlantic, and ending on November 30 for both. The nature of our industry lends itself to being in the path of a storm, so it is critical to be prepared. While we as individuals often focus on making sure our families are prepared for storms with the help of our local government entities, it is also important to create a plan to protect our businesses and employees.
The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) recommends these five steps to prepare for a storm:
As employers, it is essential to review all emergency plans every year for improvement. At the same time, it is important to continually remind your most critical assets – your employees – that they also create an individualized plan for their families in the case that they are affected by an impending storm. Providing information and reminders through email blasts, text messages, or safety meetings reminding the employees about the upcoming hurricane season can help inform the employees
and their families the importance of creating an individualized plan.
Other hurricane preparedness resources include:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christian Murillo joined The American Equity Underwriters, Inc. as a Loss Control Manager in 2016. Prior to joining AEU, Christian worked in the safety and health field. Christian received his bachelor’s degree
in marketing from Nichols State University.