Severe weather preparedness not one-time exercise for businesses

BRANDON — Local business owners should prepare for the possibility that severe weather could disrupt their operations — even when their facilities escape major damage, a climate resilience expert told the Brandon Chamber of Commerce last week.

Emilia Cameron of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction told attendees at a September luncheon the recent flooding and heavy rainfall across southern Manitoba affected several businesses.

“Businesses need to prepare not just for direct damages to buildings, but for wide disruptions that can prevent them from operating,” she said. “Road closures, power outages, damaged infrastructure, internet failures and employees being unable to reach work can all bring operations to a standstill.”

Supply chains can also be affected when suppliers cannot reach their customers, she said.

The message comes after flooding affected several Manitoba communities this year, with states of emergency declared across the Westman region.

Cameron said business owners should begin by assessing the hazards they face and discussing coverage and vulnerabilities with insurance providers and local governments.

The institutes’s free Open for Business disaster planning toolkit is designed to help small- and mid-sized companies prepare. The resource includes a 10-question self-assessment, a business continuity plan and a property protection plan.

“A business should also identify key employees, suppliers, vendors, equipment and services, while keeping contact information accessible if normal computer systems or buildings become unavailable,” she said. “It’s important to choose a team or a person to help lead out this plan.”

Businesses should consider alternatives before they are needed, including temporary locations, working from home, backup communications and alternate suppliers, she said.

Physical protection does not always require major spending, Cameron said. For those concerned about heavy rain, she recommended checking gutters and roof drainage systems, cleaning them regularly and trimming nearby trees to prevent blockages.

The larger concern, she said, is understanding the chain of dependencies that keeps a business operating.

Cameron said preparedness should not be treated as a one-time exercise. Businesses should review plans after an emergency, identify what worked and make changes as needed.

“Don’t wait for the next disaster to start planning,” Cameron said. “Take that assessment, find out where your gaps are, pick one or two, and start there and improve them.”

— Brandon Sun