How to Keep Your Business Afloat in a Flood

Did you know that flooding is responsible for over $2 billion in U.S. property damage every year?

Whether or not your business is located in a flood-prone area, you should be prepared to maintain business continuity in the event of the unexpected: A quarter of all flood insurance claims are for policies in minimal risk areas. That's because broken water mains and the like can wreak just as much havoc as major flooding.

Run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Mitigation Division, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) works with communities to reduce floods and prevent storm and flood damage. It also provides federal flood insurance for businesses—flood insurance that can save your enterprise.

First and Foremost: Prepare a flood plan.
Think of how your business would react to any water-related disaster. Prepare an official document to make information accessible during a flood for better and faster communication. Here are some flood protection and prevention tips to include:

• Ask your local emergency management office about the possibility and history of flooding in your area. While you're there, learn more about your area's flooding and other emergency plans.
• Establish warning and evacuation procedures for your building.
• Make a plan of where to keep back-up data and documents.
• Purchase an NOAA Weather Radio for flood watches and warnings.
• Ask your insurance carrier for more information about flood insurances.
• Remember that most property and casualty insurance plans do not cover flooding.
• Consider floodproofing your building.
• Have a plan for critical business equipment and computers.
• If you are in high risk area, keep back-up systems in mind, including:
• Portable pumps to bail water.
• Generators or other alternative power sources.
• Battery-powered emergency lighting.

Flood Proofing Measures
In the event of a flood, it's important to keep your business documents safe and sound. Emergency flood proofing measures often include building sandbag walls to divert water or constructing soil barriers consisting of wooden or cardboard walls filled in with dirt. If you can't avoid water coming into your business, try to get accurate information above the estimated eventual height of the waters.

• Move important documents or equipment out of reach, either to an upper floor or even to another site.
• Wrap important items in plastic.
• Remember to leave any doors, cabinets and drawers open, otherwise the flood water may cause them to swell, making it difficult to open them later.
• Be certain to turn off gas and electricity to safeguard your business against fire. Turn off water to prevent loss of pressure in the system.

Remember These 3 Steps:
To better prepare yourself for a flood or water damage:

• Discuss with your insurance agent what's covered in your existing policy.
• Refer to the preparation guidelines outlined above and on the Dehumidification page.
• Consider a membership to Agility's ReadySuite.

Agility's ReadySuite: A Complete Mobile Recovery Unit
A membership with Agility's ReadySuite ensures you have a mobile office to keep your business running, even if your physical space is completely destroyed. You're provided with emergency space and equipment, including computers, servers, and satellite telephone and internet link-ups—all within 48 hours of an emergency declaration.

Stay Connected With Customers—Before They Connect With Someone Else
If your business is destroyed, insurance will pay to rebuild it. But how do you maintain operations while rebuilding? Most customers won't wait in the interim: they'll take their business elsewhere.

ReadySuite is a simple, turn-key solution that lets you continue operations without interruption, regardless of the circumstance. Take the guesswork out of ensuring business continuity in the wake of a disaster. With ReadySuite, continuity and peace of mind can be yours. All for an affordable $275 a month.

ReadySuite Is Virtually Risk-Free
If there ever was an event, most business interruption insurance policies will cover the cost of ReadySuite. (Verify that's the case with your provider.) That makes ReadySuite a virtually risk-free way to ensure your business survival.

Call to learn why ReadySuite has a 100% success rate—and how its mobile recovery solutions can be applied to your business. Your call will be returned in one business day.

Be prepared in the event of any disaster—natural or otherwise. Learn more about Agility's ReadySuite.

Other Resources
To learn more about flood insurance, visit the Federal Emergency Management Administration's National Flood Insurance Program at: www.fema.gov/nfip/c_cov.shtm