Business Continuity During A Hurricane by Lou Altman

Disasters can occur with the speed of lightening, suddenly, unexpectedly and with mind-numbing consequences. Every year many businesses, both small and large, are faced with natural disasters such as fires, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes and hurricanes. These events disrupt business continuity and threaten the livelihood of business owners and employees. Those that have prepared in advance maintain business continuity and recover. The unprepared face lengthy down times, lose customers and suppliers while business continuity is disrupted and they often become casualty statistics. Friday evening, August 26, 2005, businesses along the Gulf Coast from Florida to Texas finished their business week and headed home, went out to dinner, shopped, relaxed with their families and began enjoying weekend activities. Most were keeping a wary eye on the southern tip of Florida where Hurricane Katrina had just passed as a weak Category One hurricane. The storm gained wind speed and intensity over the warm Gulf waters and had become a category three storm with expected landfall along the Gulf Coast some time over the weekend.

People living along the coast were cautiously watchful but not alarmed. Hurricanes are a routine part of life along the Coast. Most storms are low category and cause more inconvenience than damage. People living in this part of the U.S. have become accustomed to boarding up windows, closing hurricane shutters, and protecting their property and businesses. Experienced businesses that are focused on maintaining continuity following a natural disaster have emergency procedures in place that include covering computers, equipment and inventory with plastic or tarps and moving them to a dry secure area to prevent water damage in case windows are blown out or roofs are damaged and leak. Gulf Coast residents had heeded warnings and battened down the hatches for several storms during the 2005 season. The latest storm, Hurricane Dennis, came with a big media build-up, there was a flurry of preparation before it hit Alabama with rain and wind but caused little damage. It was another false alarm and became known as the storm that wasn't. Residents and businesses of the Gulf Coast had been lulled into a false sense of security and almost no one prepared for what would occur within the next two days.

By Monday morning Hurricane Katrina, which had strengthened and become a huge category five hurricane with 175 mph winds, slammed into the Gulf Coast. The eye of the storm hovered very close to the Louisiana and Mississippi border but the enormous storm spanned the area from eastern Texas to the Florida Panhandle. The high winds pummeled coastal towns, and rain and storm surges lashed many areas with a huge 20 to 30 foot wall of water. The disastrous storm battered much of the Gulf Coast leaving massive destruction. The damage stretched all along the coasts of Mississippi and Louisiana and reached nearly 100 miles inland. Along the coast homes and businesses were completely washed away by storm surges and flooding, leaving only concrete slabs where buildings once stood. Nearly all business came to an immediate stop. Electronic business documents and financial records necessary for businesses to function were inaccessible without electricity. Paper documents and records for many businesses were irreplaceably damaged or destroyed by hurricane force winds and rain or floodwaters. Businesses were faced with months of down time while recovery efforts took place. Without a communication vehicle it was impossible to reach suppliers, customers or employees, disrupting all business continuity. Communication was non-existent for most people. Without electric power there was no TV or radio. Phone service was completely destroyed and cell phone towers were demolished. Access to the Internet and e-mail was eliminated. In almost all hard hit areas it would take days, even weeks, before communications systems would be repaired and operational again. Only satellite phones were operational and provide communication during this critical period.

For most businesses it is not the actual physical damage that causes the most anxiety. It is the loss of business continuity resulting in revenue and opportunity losses during the down time while recovery and rebuilding are taking place. This is where business continuity planning is essential to keep the lines of communication open and businesses in operation following a disaster situation. Communication is an essential part of any emergency business continuity program and must be based around a satellite phone system.
About the Author

Lou Altman is President of GlobaFone in Portsmouth, NH. GlobaFone is one of the world's leading suppliers of satellite phone equipment and services for business continuity and emergency response. For more info visit to www.GlobaFoneIridiumPhones.com or mail on L.Altman@GlobaFone.com