After Hurricane Ian + Life Insurance + Hurricane Headaches + Equipment Failure + Preparing Employees

In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, hoteliers with properties in or near the path of the storm have been taking stock of damages and doing their part in recovery efforts.

Though a full assessment is ongoing, the initial Category 4 and subsequent Category 1 landfalls by Hurricane Ian on the Gulf Coast of Florida and Atlantic coastline caused heavy damage.

Reuters reports the hurricane has killed 85 people, and 81 of those deaths were in Florida. Rescue crews have visited about 45,000 homes and businesses in the state. Risk modeling firm Verisk told the news agency Monday that insurers expected between $42 billion and $57 billion in losses. That excludes losses covered by the U.S. government's National Flood Insurance Program.

The recent arrest of a man who allegedly planned to shoot up a festival at the Gorge Amphitheatre serves as stark a reminder to employers that a shooting can occur almost anywhere. In workplaces, active shooters are often disgruntled current or former employees, or their family or friends; however, the shooters could also be complete strangers. While such events are often unpredictable, employers can take the following four steps to prepare for the unthinkable.

Evacuate – properly exit in an emergency

Employees should be prepared to evacuate the active shooter area, because that is often the best course of action to address the threat. An employer’s evacuation plan and corresponding training should provide employees with information to: