Hurricane Checklist: Small Business Disaster Recovery Plan

Creating a business disaster recovery plan tailored specifically for small businesses during hurricane season is crucial. The Entech team developed this checklist of steps to follow so your organization can weather any storm.

Risk Assessment and Planning

Conduct a risk assessment to identify potential IT vulnerabilities and risks associated with hurricanes, such as power outages, flooding and infrastructure damage. 

Develop a comprehensive disaster recovery plan that addresses these risks and outlines procedures for mitigating and responding to potential disasters.

Backup and Data Recovery

Implement regular backups of critical data, applications and configurations to ensure data integrity and availability. Store backup copies of data in secure offsite locations and cloud-based storage to protect against physical damage and loss.

Test backup and recovery procedures regularly to validate data integrity and recovery capabilities.

Infrastructure and Network Resilience

Assess the resilience of your IT infrastructure and network components, including servers, routers, switches and communication lines.

Implement redundancy and failover mechanisms to minimize downtime and ensure continuity of operations during hurricanes. Consider deploying uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and backup generators to maintain power to critical IT systems during power outages.

Remote Access and Telecommuting

Enable remote access capabilities for employees to allow them to work from home or other remote locations during hurricanes or evacuations.

Ensure that remote access solutions are secure and compliant with industry standards to protect against unauthorized access and data breaches.

Communication and Notification

Establish communication channels and procedures for notifying employees, clients and stakeholders about hurricane-related updates, including office closures, evacuations and alternate work arrangements.

Utilize mass notification systems, email alerts and text messaging services to disseminate information quickly and effectively.

Vendor and Supplier Coordination

Coordinate with IT vendors, suppliers and service providers to ensure continuity of services and support during hurricanes.

Establish contingency plans and alternative arrangements for IT services and supplies in case primary vendors are unable to fulfill their obligations.

Incident Response and Recovery

Develop incident response procedures and escalation protocols for IT emergencies, including procedures for identifying, containing and mitigating the impact of security incidents or system failures.

Establish a designated incident response team responsible for coordinating recovery efforts and communicating with relevant stakeholders.

Testing and Training

Before hurricane season arrives, conduct regular testing and drills of the disaster recovery plan to assess its effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.

Provide training to employees on their roles and responsibilities during hurricanes and other disasters, including procedures for accessing IT systems and data remotely.

Documentation and Documentation Management

Maintain comprehensive documentation of the disaster recovery plan, including procedures, contact information and recovery strategies.

Ensure that documentation is readily accessible to key personnel and regularly updated to reflect changes in technology, infrastructure and business requirements.

Continuous Improvement and Review

Regularly review and update the disaster recovery plan to incorporate lessons learned from previous incidents, changes in technology and emerging threats.

Solicit feedback from employees, clients and stakeholders to identify areas for improvement and ensure that the plan remains relevant and effective over time.

Prepping Your Home for a Hurricane

Ensure you have a way to receive warnings, either from a NOAA weather radio, weather apps on your phone, or by radio or television. Sign up for alert notifications that are specific to your town or region.

• Know your local hurricane evacuation route(s), as well as shelters outside the evacuation zone.
• Make sure your vehicles are in good working condition and able to make the potentially several hundred-mile trip.
• Put together a “go bag” for each member of your family, including pets, that includes clothes, toiletries, medicines and anything else needed to survive comfortably away from home for several days.

Put together a general emergency preparedness kit:

• Water (1 gallon per person per day) Battery-powered weather radio with extra batteries.
• Non-perishable food.
• Flashlight.
• First aid kit.
• Cash.
• Whistle to signal for help if trapped in debris.

Know the terms:

• Hurricane/tropical storm watch: Hurricane conditions are possible in the next 48 hours. Stay tuned in to alerts and look over evacuation route. Double-check emergency preparedness kit.
• Hurricane/tropical storm warning: Hurricane conditions are expected within 36 hours. If in the evacuation zone, it is time to evacuate to a safe shelter outside the evacuation zone with your family and pets.
• Stay in contact with family and friends using phones or social media to let them know you are safe.

Preparing your home before hurricane season starts:

• Take pictures of your property, inside and out. This will come in handy if or when filing a claim with insurance companies about storm damage.
• Purchase a generator and make sure it works ahead of time as electricity can be out for weeks after a hurricane.
• Cut down any trees or branches that could fall or be blown into the house.
• Store bottled water in case water becomes polluted or unavailable.

Before evacuating:

• Clear out drains and gutters to keep them from flooding when it rains heavily.
• Bring inside any outdoor objects that could be picked up by strong winds.
• Unplug electronic devices and turn off utilities as directed to do so by authorities before evacuating.
• Large pets or livestock that cannot be taken with you personally should be evacuated well ahead of the storm, so it’s important to have a plan in place for this.
• Board up all windows to prevent broken glass. 

By following this checklist and implementing a proactive disaster recovery plan, small businesses and their employees can minimize the impact of hurricanes on their IT infrastructure and operations, ensuring continuity of business operations and safeguarding critical data and assets.

If you need an IT partner to ensure all data is safe, reach out to the Entech team. We are here to help.