Hurricanes Helene and Milton highlight the need for disaster preparedness

Two major hurricanes devastated parts of the Southeastern United States in the span of two weeks. Hurricanes Helene and Milton both made landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Helene wreaked havoc across Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Virginia, triggering historic rains and floods in the Appalachian Mountains region. Milton, meanwhile, spawned tornadoes and knocked out power to millions across the Florida peninsula. 

The final tallies will certainly change, but so far the two storms are responsible for nearly 300 deaths, tens of thousands of destroyed homes, and more than $50 billion in economic losses. In Western North Carolina, much of metropolitan Asheville still doesn’t have running water, making it impossible for most businesses to reopen—during what should be the region’s busiest month of the year. 

There’s no doubt the recovery process will be slow, and many lessons will be learned from these storms. But the first lesson is clear: disaster preparedness is a must for every business, in every corner of North America.

Why disaster preparedness matters.

Consider this: If your business lost power and Internet and then was inundated by floodwaters, how would you respond? Would you know the best steps to take—in the right order? The severity of Helene and Milton underscores the critical need for businesses to consider these questions long before a storm strikes.

The definition of disaster preparedness includes more than just securing physical assets. Computers and servers can be replaced, but if data isn’t backed up, communication networks go down, and employees don’t know whether they should come to work or not, chaos can reign.

Disaster preparedness helps your business safeguard information, maintain connections,  and roll out a response plan when the time is right. Without taking these steps in advance, a disaster can have serious consequences: operational downtime, reputational damage, and long-term financial losses.

The threat of such prolonged disruptions is real. But help is out there. Working with a trusted IT provider like CMIT Solutions, you can protect your company’s physical and digital assets while responding proactively to any problem. Here are some steps we recommend—along with some lessons learned from Hurricanes Helene and Milton:

• Data backup and protection are a must. Companies impacted by Helene and Milton will likely face significant data losses—especially if their physical offices suffered flooding, wind damage, or other impacts. Thousands of businesses lost everything: computers, servers, hard drives, modems, phones, and tablets. That’s why it’s so important to have cloud-based storage solutions in place before a disaster strikes. With regular backups stored offsite, information can quickly be recovered and installed as soon as replacement machines are in place.
• Business continuity planning: Consider this the next step after day one of a disaster: who will work remotely? Do we have backup power? How should we communicate with our clients? Having these strategies in place can allow companies to resume operations quickly and lead out on disaster relief. Business continuity planning also involves simulated disaster scenarios and contingency exercises to help your employees understand the plan.
• Fortified physical infrastructure. Depending on your company’s location, this can include a number of improvements: reinforced windows, flood barriers, hurricane shutters, and elevated equipment racks. Installed in advance, these can help to mitigate storm damage and provide at least some peace of mind. They can also impact your insurance premiums, so work with a trusted provider to install and document them.
• Personnel management. Recovering from a storm like Helene and Milton is about more than just technology—it’s about the human beings who work for your company understanding their roles and responsibilities. Should different teams coordinate their efforts in the wake of a disaster? Who will be responsible for key functions like payroll, accounting, and social media? Businesses that have well-defined roles and responsibilities in place often fare better in a disaster, avoiding confusion and delays in decision-making.
• Communication flexibility. Western North Carolina suffered crippling communications outages in the immediate wake of Hurricane Helene, with nearly 80% of all cell towers inoperable for days after the storm. Loved ones couldn’t locate their families, businesses couldn’t contact their employees, and citizens didn’t know whether gas stations or grocery stores were open. Businesses with alternative methods like satellite messaging or handheld radios are often considered community leaders in the wake of a disaster.

Beyond the standard technological and operational tips outlined above, businesses can take other specific actions before and after a storm to survive and thrive. These may differ depending on your geographic location and industry sector, but generally they include:

• Secure critical documents before a disaster strikes. At home and at work, consider gathering as many important documents as possible and storing them in secure locations. Physical documents should be kept in fireproof and waterproof safes, while digital copies should be backed up regularly and encrypted in the cloud. This ensures that critical information remains accessible even if your primary office is damaged.
• Know your relief options after the fact. If your business is affected by a hurricane, flood, or other natural disaster, the Small Business Administration (SBA) offers disaster loans to help companies recover from physical and economic losses. The SBA has Disaster Recovery Centers up and running across the Southeast in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. FEMA also provides direct financial assistance to individuals along with connections to SBA resources. State initiatives like RebuildNC and local chambers of commerce can help, too.
• Implement cash flow and inventory management plans. As power outages in Western North Carolina dragged on after Helene, one of the biggest problems was an inability to withdraw cash from inoperable ATMs. One lesson learned from this scenario is the importance of setting aside emergency funds in a secure location so your business can survive the worst. Carefully managed inventory plans are critical too, especially if your business has any connections to perishable items. Grocery chains in the Southeast were hit particularly hard by long-term power and communications outages.

Anyone who’s lived through a natural disaster has probably said the same thing before: “We never thought it would happen here.” But as storms become fiercer and risks become more widespread every company in North America must have a disaster preparedness plan in place. 

The devastation of Hurricanes Helene and Milton highlights the need to take proactive, concrete steps now to anticipate the impacts of a disaster—rather than just reacting after it strikes. A company’s financial and operational survival often hinges on how well it prepares for the worst.

If you want to enhance business resiliency, CMIT Solutions can help. Contact us today to talk about proactive preparedness, business continuity, and disaster recovery. We’ve helped hundreds of organizations bounce back in the face of major devastation—and we’re ready to help you, too.