When you run a small business, a hurricane can threaten more than your building. It can interrupt sales, damage equipment, separate you from employees, and leave you facing expenses while your doors remain closed.

You cannot control the storm, but you can reduce the disruption it causes. A practical hurricane preparedness plan helps protect your people, property, financial records, and ability to reopen.

Start With a Business Continuity Plan

A business continuity plan explains how your company will keep essential functions running during and after an emergency. It does not need to be complicated, but it should give your team clear instructions when normal operations are impossible.

Begin by identifying the activities your business cannot operate without. These may include processing customer payments, communicating with clients, accessing records, fulfilling orders, or paying employees.

Your plan should answer several important questions:

• Who has the authority to close or reopen the business?
• How will employees receive updates?
• Can essential work continue from another location?
• Which vendors, systems, and employees are critical?
• Who will contact customers if operations stop?
• Where are emergency contacts and insurance documents stored?

Assign backup responsibilities in case the primary person cannot respond. Review and practice the plan with your staff before hurricane season rather than expecting everyone to learn it during an emergency.

The Ready Business Hurricane Toolkit provides additional planning guidance for protecting employees, customers, and business operations.

Put Employee Safety First

Property can be repaired. Your first responsibility is protecting the people who work for and visit your business.

Monitor official alerts and follow evacuation orders from local authorities. Do not ask employees to travel, secure property, or report to work when conditions are unsafe.

Create an emergency contact list and confirm how you will communicate. Text messages, group messaging apps, phone trees, and email can all help, but you should have more than one method in case cellular service or internet access fails.

Employees should know:

• When and how the business will close
• Where to find local evacuation information
• Who to contact during an emergency
• Whether remote work is possible
• How they will receive reopening instructions

Keep basic emergency supplies at your workplace, especially if employees may need to shelter temporarily. Include water, flashlights, batteries, first aid supplies, phone chargers, and a battery powered radio.

Review Your Business Insurance Coverage

Do not assume that having business insurance means every type of hurricane damage is covered. Policies cover specific causes of loss, and deductibles, limits, and exclusions can leave important gaps.

Ask your insurance agent to explain these coverages in plain language:

Commercial Property Insurance

Commercial property insurance may cover damage to your building, furniture, equipment, inventory, and other business property caused by covered events such as wind. Coverage depends on your policy terms and exclusions.

Check whether your policy pays replacement cost or actual cash value. Replacement cost generally pays what it costs to replace damaged property, subject to policy terms. Actual cash value subtracts depreciation for age and wear, which may result in a smaller payment.

Business Interruption Insurance

Business interruption coverage, also called business income coverage, may replace lost income and cover certain continuing expenses when covered physical damage forces your business to close.

Ask what triggers coverage, how long benefits may last, and whether there is a waiting period. It is also important to understand whether extra expense coverage can help pay for temporary space, equipment rental, or other costs that allow you to keep operating.

Flood and Wind Coverage

Standard commercial property policies typically exclude flooding. Flooding generally means water covering normally dry land, including storm surge and rising surface water.

Commercial flood insurance can protect a building and its contents, but building and contents coverage may need to be purchased separately. National Flood Insurance Program policies usually take 30 days to become effective, so waiting until a storm approaches could leave you unprotected. Review current options through FloodSmart.gov.

Depending on your location and insurer, wind or hurricane damage may also carry a separate deductible. Unlike a flat dollar deductible, this may equal a percentage of your insured property value. Ask your agent to calculate what that would mean in dollars.

Protect Your Property and Inventory

Inspect your roof, windows, doors, drainage systems, and exterior signs before hurricane season. Repair loose materials, seal openings, trim vulnerable branches, and clear gutters and drains.

When a storm approaches and authorities say it is safe to prepare:

• Install shutters or approved window protection
• Bring outdoor furniture, signs, and equipment inside
• Move inventory and electronics away from windows
• Raise valuable items above expected flood levels
• Unplug equipment that does not need to remain powered
• Shut down utilities when advised by qualified professionals
• Confirm that generators are outdoors and away from openings

Photograph your building, equipment, furniture, and inventory before the storm. Record serial numbers and keep receipts when possible. Current photos and organized records can make insurance and disaster assistance claims easier to support, according to the IRS.

Back Up Important Business Records

A damaged computer or filing cabinet should not erase the information your business needs to recover.

Back up customer records, payroll information, tax documents, contracts, insurance policies, vendor contacts, and inventory lists. Store encrypted copies in a secure cloud service or another location outside the hurricane risk area.

Test your backups regularly. A backup only helps if your team can access and restore it when your primary systems fail.

Plan for the First Days After the Storm

Do not return until local officials say the area is safe. Watch for floodwater, unstable structures, electrical hazards, gas leaks, and downed power lines.

Before moving or discarding damaged items, photograph them and contact your insurer. Take reasonable steps to prevent further damage, but avoid permanent repairs until the insurer explains its documentation and inspection requirements. Keep receipts for emergency work and temporary operating costs.

If a federal disaster declaration applies to your area, check available assistance through the U.S. Small Business Administration. Remember that disaster loans must be repaid, so they should support appropriate insurance and emergency savings instead of replacing them.

Prepare Now, Not When a Storm Is Approaching

Strong hurricane preparedness comes down to four priorities: protect people, understand your insurance, secure essential property and records, and create a realistic recovery plan.

Review these areas with your staff and insurance agent every year. A few hours of preparation now could reduce confusion, speed up a claim, and help your small business reopen sooner after the storm.