What “Barry” did for Florida, however, is to offer a teachable moment by reminding us that the traditional Atlantic Ocean hurricane season has just begun, and runs through November.3 Which means ‘we’ still have time to plan.
There is a tremendous amount of ‘hard’ infrastructure, real and personal property, and plain ole (but highly important) personal memorabilia contained within Florida’s 67 counties.
It is Important at this Time, for Example, to:
- Inventory business and personal assets (with photographs and receipts, if possible)
- Backup the inventory offsite (including in-the-cloud) with a further backup held by a trusted person outside of the state
- Secure critical assets and documents (such as property/flood/death/life insurance policies, estate planning documents, original real estate deeds/title insurance policies/surveys, family Bibles, photographs, and other irreplaceable treasures) in a water/fireproof container
- Harden and store property which can float, be blown away, fall, or be a ‘target’ for falling items (even from other locations)
- Arrange for the location, medical, and other needs of family members (including pets) and business personnel
- Trim potentially damaging trees, bushes, and other natural flora
- What other self-help matters come to your mind to proactively reduce these sorts of risks?
This can all be quite intimidating. The ‘unknowns’ about if, when, and ‘how bad’ a storm could be. Worrying about potential injuries and damage. Preparing in advance for mitigating those risks. Literally, weathering a storm. Assessing what was lost, partially damaged, or destroyed altogether. Filing an insurance claim. Waiting. Rebooting life after the storm and its effects (physical, psychological, and community) passes.
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There are a good number of no-charge resources ‘out there’ to help predict and prepare. Here are a few. Please learn about them now.
- Storm predictions: National Hurricane Center
- Event preparedness: Ready.gov – Hurricanes
- Preparedness specifically for businesses: OSHA Emergency Preparedness & SBA: Prepare for Emergencies
- Florida’s preparedness portal: FloridaDisaster.org
Those are just four basic resources. ‘Your’ local governments, ‘your’ insurance company, and other hands-on service providers may well have helpful hints on those same topics from a rubber-meets-the-road perspective. Because they are going to be involved in the eventual clean-up and restoration.
We certainly care about all in Louisiana who may have been harmed by “Barry”, and there will be opportunities to help for those who wish to do so.4
What “Barry” did for Florida, however, is to offer a teachable moment by reminding us that the traditional Atlantic Ocean hurricane season has just begun, and runs through November.
It is, then, the time of the year to focus on storm-related issues now. Take a few minutes to do so. Now. While you may not be happy a storm came, you will be satisfied you did all you reasonably could to prepare. (Side-note: As a general matter it is less expensive in terms of time, energy, and funds to prepare in advance of a storm then it is to respond and repair afterwards.)
1 Full disclosure: This writer is a Hurricane Andrew ‘survivor’, and never lived in his Miami house after the night of the storm. Further, this writer ‘rode out’ Hurricane Andrew by actually holding his front door closed against the winds.
2 See, for example, /starting-2019-with-safety-mindset-hurricanes-flu-planning/
3 https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/#bac
4 See, for example, https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/press-release/2019/red-cross-responds-to-tropical-storm-barry.html
– For more information, call Philip N. Kabler of the Gainesville, FL office of Bogin, Munns & Munns at 352.332.7688, where he practices in the areas of business, banking, real estate, and equine law. He has taught business and real estate law courses at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Warrington College of Business Administration. And is now the President-Elect of the Eighth Judicial Circuit Bar Association.
NOTICE: The article above is not intended to serve as legal advice, and you should not rely on it as such. It is offered only as general information. You should consult with a duly licensed attorney regarding your Florida legal matter, as every situation is unique. Please know that merely reading this article, subscribing to this blog, or otherwise contacting Bogin, Munns & Munns does not establish an attorney-client relationship with our firm. Should you seek legal representation from Bogin, Munns & Munns, any such representation must first be agreed to by the firm and confirmed in a written agreement.
1 Full disclosure: This writer is a Hurricane Andrew ‘survivor’, and never lived in his Miami house after the night of the storm. Further, this writer ‘rode out’ Hurricane Andrew by actually holding his front door closed against the winds.
2 See, for example, /starting-2019-with-safety-mindset-hurricanes-flu-planning/
3 https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/#bac
4 See, for example, https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/press-release/2019/red-cross-responds-to-tropical-storm-barry.html
– For more information, call Philip N. Kabler of the Gainesville, FL office of Bogin, Munns & Munns at 352.332.7688, where he practices in the areas of business, banking, real estate, and equine law. He has taught business and real estate law courses at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Warrington College of Business Administration. And is now the President-Elect of the Eighth Judicial Circuit Bar Association.
NOTICE: The article above is not intended to serve as legal advice, and you should not rely on it as such. It is offered only as general information. You should consult with a duly licensed attorney regarding your Florida legal matter, as every situation is unique. Please know that merely reading this article, subscribing to this blog, or otherwise contacting Bogin, Munns & Munns does not establish an attorney-client relationship with our firm. Should you seek legal representation from Bogin, Munns & Munns, any such representation must first be agreed to by the firm and confirmed in a written agreement.
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