HURRICANE PREPARATION & RESTORATION

Hurricane season is a stressful time especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re here to help you prepare for this year’s hurricane season. ServiceMaster by Bailey travels to affected areas every year to help with hurricane damage cleanup for hurricane damaged communities.

No matter what this hurricane season holds, we are trained, equipped and ready to repair and clean your home or business. If you need hurricane damage clean up and repair services after the hurricane, contact us today and we will restore your home and peace of mind.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, plan to stock up on essential supplies a few weeks in advance. Make sure you have enough water for you and your pets (one gallon per body per day), refill necessary prescriptions and stock up on non-perishable foods.

If you plan to evacuate, prepare a to-go kit with COVID-19 precautions in mind. Include hand sanitizer, hand soap and face coverings for everyone in your family. Click here for additional CDC recommendations for preparing for a hurricane during coronavirus.

Save your insurance policy statements to a cloud or drive account. This way, they’re still accessible if you happen to lose your device. Take indoor and outdoor photos of your property before the storm and understand your coverage policy.

Establish a plan to reconnect after power or service outages. Depending on what’s still available, you’ll need to create multiple outlets for communication. Don’t forget a portable charger for your devices.

Your local disaster shelters may be different this year due to COVID-19. Visit this link to view CDC shelter recommendations.

Fill up your gas tanks and make sure you have a car charger for your cell phone. Tune into NOAA weather radio for live hurricane updates.

Collect and move any items located by windows and doors.

Turn off main circuit breaker and unplug computer equipment.

Allow non-essential employees to go home.

Bring items inside that can be picked up by strong winds indoors.

Use hurricane shutters to board up windows and doors. You can also use ½ inch marine plywood if hurricane shutters are unavailable. Close windows, shutters and doors before the hurricane begins.

Plan to shut off main switches in the circuit breaker box if you lose power or leave your property. Unplug small appliances and turn off propone tanks.

Collect vital documents, such as birth certificates, passports, social security cards, bank information, etc. and bring it with you.

Protecting your business from hurricane damage during COVID can be difficult, but ServiceMaster by Bailey is here to help. Here are our recommendations for preparing during this unprecedented time:

Utilize our team of experts at ServiceMaster by Bailey. We have tools and resources available to help you evaluate your contingency plan. Make sure your plan is up to date since COVID hit earlier this year.

Understand your property insurance and coverage.

Create an emergency contact list of essential employees’ numbers and email addresses. Distribute this list to your teams as you plan your response.

Make copies of vital records and upload to a cloud or drive database.

Prep essential employees and those responsible for maintaining the facility with CDC recommendations to keep themselves and others safe. Assign the following essential tasks:

• Secure items that can be swept up in the wind
• Check flood lights and security
• Board up windows and doors
• Confirm existing and back up communication equipment is up and running

Emergency supplies to buy:

• Water, non-perishable food and first-aid kits
• Battery-operated radio and/or TV
• Flashlights & batteries

Establish emergency power and have backup generator if available.

Communicate hurricane preparedness information with employees.

If your home or business experiences damage, use our checklist as a guide to minimize impact:

Communicate with Essential Contacts

• Contact ServiceMaster by Bailey
• Emergency contacts
• Emergency Response Contractor
• Insurance carrier/broker and other primary contacts

Reduce Further Damage

• Most insurance policies require the insured to take steps to minimize additional damage. ServiceMaster by Bailey can help you mitigate the situation and prevent additional damage.
• Perform any temporary repairs that will further protect the property and improve personnel safety.

Damage Assessment

• After receiving authorization to return to your home or place of business, the recovery team will start assessing the property for damage. It’s important to compare photos from before the storm and document any loss.

Fire Protection

• For businesses, you must restore the fire protection system or an alternative solution to reoccupy the facility.

Preventative Maintenance

• Asses and confirm there are no dangers as a result of the loss. Then, protect property and equipment to prevent any additional damage during cleanup.

Reclaiming & Cleaning

• Time is of the essence when cleaning up water damage. Contact us as soon as possible and begin the cleanup process to avoid additional damages.

Track Costs

• To file a claim, you need to show proof of purchases in every step of your restoration process. Keep receipts and document everything.

Restoration & Repair

• If all parties have agreed on the services needed to return to pre-loss condition and funds have been authorized, complete the cleanup, repair and replace process.