HURRICANE SEASON IS HERE:

PREPARE YOUR BUSINESS

Atlantic hurricane season is June 1st- November 30th and Pasco EDC wants to make sure you and your business are prepared. We encourage you to be proactive and utilize the list below of important things to consider when preparing for an emergency:

STAY INFORMED WITH UP TO DATE INFORMATION

• Be sure to get updates directly from a trusted source like Pasco County Government, Pasco County Sheriff Office, and Pasco EDC social media and websites
• Sign up for Alert Pasco to receive critical alerts directly from Pasco County regarding evacuation orders, sand bag stations, emergency updates, and more

YOUR EMPLOYEES 

• Know where your employees are and the best way to contact them
• Establish a mass notification system to notify and get in touch with employees quickly and easily

YOUR BUSINESS ASSETS

• Know where your assets are such as equipment, supplies, products, networks, data
• Cover your assets and raise them above the floor if possible
• Identify how you will protect important business documents and inventory that is vulnerable to water damage

DEVELOP AN EMERGENCY PLAN

• Have a plan that will enable operation with various employees at different locations

BACK UP YOUR DATA

• Back up your data offsite and consider using Cloud based systems for things like payroll, CRM and HR systems

DEVELOP AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM

• Define each team members roles and responsibilities and meet with employees to discuss their roles and answer questions that they may have

KNOW YOUR ZONE AND MAP EVACUTATION ROUTES

• Use this interactive map to enter your address and determine which evacuation zone your home and business are located in

KEEP EMPLOYEES AND CUSTOMERS AWARE OF YOUR PLAN

• Use social media
• Include updates on your website
• Phone calls to employees as needed with updates
• Update your voicemail system

POST-DISASTER RESOURCES

• Prepare a list of available resources that you may have to call upon if you require assistance re-opening your business or obtaining emergency funding for repairing damaged property

HOW TO PREVENT DAMAGE AT ALL OF YOUR FACILITIES

• Know the address of all buildings, including storage facilities
• Have an evacuation plan for each facility
• Use sandbags to prevent flooding at all entrances
  • Visit Pasco County's social media for up to date information of sandbag locations
• Know the potential for damage at each facility and which ones are at higher risk for damage

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

The Pasco EDC Disaster Planning Resource webpage includes a collection of local, state, and federal resources for before, during and after a storm, including: