Considering September is National Preparedness Month and we are in the midst of Hurricane season (which ends on November 30^th) it is time for Property Managers and Apartment Building Owners to review their Hurricane Preparedness plans!  Even though this hurricane season has been as quiet as last year’s, it is still too soon to relax just yet.  You must always be prepared.  Keep in mind, Superstorm Sandy didn’t hit until very late in the 2012 season – on October 29^th – and caused an estimated $50 Billion in damages in New York, New Jersey and several other states.

Before a storm hits, here are a few steps that you should take to ensure your preparedness plan is up to date…

• Review your Insurance Policy!  Make sure they’re active and you fully understand your limits, exclusions and deductibles.
• If you haven’t done so already, create a hurricane preparedness plan.  Make sure to share this plan with your coop and condo board members so everyone is on the same page.  Residents should also understand their roles in securing their personal property.  Consider everything, including vendors and what the board members roles are during and after the storm.
• Prepare your digital files.  Is your data being backed up to a secure location?  It is not good enough to only have a plan for the physical property in your buildings.
• Review your contracts.  Consider what commitments you will expect from your landscapers, security and construction vendors after the storm?
• Make sure you are maintaining a regular maintenance schedule.  It is too late to handle maintenance issues in the midst of a storm or when it’s on its way.
• Test your backup generators and make sure you have adequate fuel in case a storm hits.

It is important to remember you can’t control when a storm is going to hit, but you can control how prepared you are for it! For help with your Emergency preparedness plan, click here to download our Hurricane Preparedness Checklist.

For more information on the Insurance Programs for Condominium Insurance, Cooperative Insurance,Apartment Insurance and Property Manager’s Insurance that New Empire Group, Ltd. offers, visit our website: www.NewEmpireGroup.com

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