The coronavirus has been so utterly devastating that it demands the full attention and budget of emergency response organizations. Unfortunately, catastrophes do not wait in line or take turns, meaning natural disasters are still poised to strike sooner or later. The world was already caught off guard by the current pandemic, and businesses small and large alike are desperately struggling to stay afloat. As difficult as things are now, the situation will become even worse once another calamity happens, which is why it’s more important than ever to set up a disaster recovery plan.

Indeed, with the east coast facing forecasts of serious hurricanes, the west coast threatened by major wildfires, and the heartland having to contend with floods and tornadoes, 2020 is shaping up to be a dangerous year for everyone.

Natural disasters such as the ones I listed typically require large groups of people to evacuate vulnerable areas, with relief efforts needing to make use of tightly packed shelters so they can distribute food and medicine to the survivors. However, stay at home orders meant to flatten the curve of coronavirus cases mean it will be especially difficult for people to safely evacuate, and social distancing protocols will require shelters to spread out the spaces for people taking refuge, thereby limiting the number of people they can house. What’s more, hospitals are already struggling to get enough medical equipment to treat the COVID-19 patients they’re currently tending to, so allocating supplies for disaster victims will put further strain on a supply chain that is already being spread thin.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, is working hard to address the coronavirus pandemic. As difficult as it would be for them to handle any additional pressure from natural disasters, it will be even more so for entrepreneurs across the country, as FEMA reports that 40-60% of small businesses fail to reopen after a disaster.

With around half of all small businesses projected to close, it’s imperative to develop a disaster recovery plan to boost the chances of your business pulling through. I understand we all have our hands full trying to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, but one of the main reasons it is so devastating is because no one was able to prepare for it. If you wait for the next problem to arise before preparing yourself, it will likely be too late. No one’s saying it will be easy, but the longer you wait, the harder it will be to survive.



The first step of developing your disaster recovery plan is identifying what sort of disasters your location is likely to face. Is your business located in an area known for flooding, are there any major fault lines near your building, has there been a history of wildfires or storms in the region? Once you know what kind of trouble you’ll be in for, you’ll be able to verify if your insurance covers it. Go over your insurance plan, call an agent if you have to, but make sure you’re protected from whatever disasters you’re most likely to face. Mind you, insurance companies are businesses too, so it’s likely they’ll charge more to cover the issues you’re likely to face. Still, that coverage could be the difference between being able to reopen your business or having no choice but to shut down for good.

If you want to make the most of your insurance investment, keep thorough records of inventory and assets so you can prove your claims if anything gets lost or damaged. Having photos or videos accompany your list will add credence to your claims by proving the assets were in your possession, as well as documenting their condition. You’ll also want to make sure all important documents and files related to your business have physical and digital backups, preferably in a secure location offsite of the main business. If you can keep physical copies in a safe and digital copies on a cloud server, you’ll be protected even if the originals at the main location end up destroyed.

In case a disaster should occur during hours of operation, develop a set of comprehensive safety procedures, such as evacuation plans, easily accessible first aid kits and essential survival tools, as well as appointing someone who will handle communication amongst staff. Once all that’s set in place, review the plans and procedures every six months. Make sure your coverage is as extensive as you need it to be, make sure all important files are securely backed up, make sure contact information is up to date and that emergency supplies are not expired or unusable.

One of the most important preparations you can make lies in your patience, as while disasters can strike in an instant, recovery can take weeks, months, or sometimes even years. After all, it’s not just your business location that will be affected, it’s also your employees and customers who will bear the brunt. If your building survives the disaster but people are evacuating the area, or if roadways and power are not restored to your location, I’m afraid there’s not much you can do but wait.

That’s not to say you’ll just be sitting around doing nothing during this time, this is when you should be busy applying for whatever assistance is available. Small business loans and business interruption insurance can be useful resources to get you through tough times, but you can’t always expect the government to help you quickly, or efficiently for that matter.  It pains me to say this, but the Small Business Administration accidentally exposed personal information of Economic Injury Disaster Loan applicants on their own website. The EIDL is meant to help small businesses survive, but now that their information has been exposed, theses vulnerable entrepreneurs can add the potential for identity theft to their long list of concerns.

The uncertainty is unbearable, I know, but if the coronavirus pandemic has shown us anything, it’s that having plans in place ahead of time is far better than not.