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Do You Have a Hurricane Safety Plan in Place?

Posted by Amy Hite on Jul 12, 2018

It’s hurricane season in North America. Is your multifamily residential community ready? The 2017 hurricane season broke multiple records with 17 tropical storms, six category three hurricanes and two category five hurricanes. Nearly 150 people died in the United States as a result of the extreme weather. Since one of a property manager’s main responsibilities is to ensure the safety of residents and staff, it’s important to take adequate hurricane safety measures.

FEMA released a list of hurricane safety tips about what to do before, during and after a hurricane. To begin preparing, residents and employees need to become familiar with their surroundings. Is the property prone to flooding? What’s the best way to get to the hurricane evacuation route?

Next, property managers should secure the property. This includes installing permanent storm shutters or boarding up windows with plywood. Despite common belief, taping windows does not prevent shattering. Be sure to trim trees and shrubs to make them more wind-resistant so they are less likely to strike and break windows.

Once the storm hits, apartment residents and staff need to adapt to weather conditions, especially flooding. The American Red Cross recommends everyone stay indoors and avoid flood waters because they may be contaminated with sewage, insects, or animals. Flooded roads are extremely dangerous, as well. Six inches of fast-flowing flood water can knock a person over and just two feet can float a vehicle. During times of severe weather, it’s important for property managers and residents to listen to NOAA radio and TV stations for critical news and updates.

A remote video surveillance service can also keep property managers updated during hurricanes and tropical storms. Stealth’s trained apartment security operators watch properties in real time from monitoring centers located safely out of harm’s way. Using weatherproof surveillance cameras, our operators can see current conditions and can warn property managers of potential safety concerns.

Hurricane season is upon us. If you own or manage a property in an ocean town, you must be prepared. High winds, flooding and even tornadoes are destructive forces that can be deadly. Plan ahead, take precautions and stay safe.

If you have any questions about weather-proof surveillance cameras and live video surveillance during extreme weather conditions, contact us here.