When severe weather is headed toward Central Texas, you don’t want your business continuity plan to be something you create while watching the radar. A little preparation now can help protect your property, employees, customers, and revenue when Mother Nature decides to make things interesting.
Protect Your Property Before the Storm
Start with the basics. Inspect your roof, gutters, drainage systems, windows, doors, and exterior equipment. Secure outdoor furniture, signage, inventory, and other loose items that could become projectiles during high winds. If your business relies on generators, pumps, refrigeration, or other critical equipment, make sure everything is operational before bad weather arrives.
For Central Texas businesses, don’t overlook flooding and water damage. Heavy rainfall can cause flash flooding even far from the coast.
Review Your Commercial Insurance
Your insurance policy should be part of your storm-preparation checklist. Review your commercial property, business income, equipment, and commercial auto coverage to make sure limits reflect your current operations.
Pay particular attention to exclusions, deductibles, and coverage for flood or other water-related losses. Flood insurance is generally not included in a standard commercial property policy, so additional coverage may be necessary depending on your location and exposures.
Also review Business Income/Business Interruption coverage. If a covered loss forces you to temporarily close, this coverage may help replace lost income and cover certain continuing expenses while you recover.
Create a Business Emergency Plan
Know who is responsible for shutting down equipment, contacting employees, communicating with customers, documenting damage, and coordinating repairs. Keep important documents, policy information, vendor contacts, and financial records backed up and accessible off-site or in the cloud.
Most importantly, don’t wait until the storm is approaching. Texas emergency management recommends planning and preparedness before disasters happen.
A storm-ready business isn’t just prepared to weather the storm—it’s prepared to reopen afterward.
At Dowd Insurance Agency, we help Central Texas business owners review their commercial insurance and identify potential coverage gaps before they become costly surprises.
Contact us today for a review of your business insurance portfolio.
