There are various steps you can take as a self storage owner operator to mitigate a natural disaster crisis before it happens.
Here are helpful preventative tips that I’ve learned from my 13 years of facility management experience that can help mitigate a natural disaster crisis at your facility.
Heavy Thunderstorms, Flash Floods & Lightning Strikes
- Regularly check catch basins to ensure they are not clogged. If they are clogged, clean them immediately.
- Install lightning rods on-site if your facility is located in an area with intense lightning strikes during thunderstorms.
- Lightning rods and ground wires conduct lightning into the ground and away from structures preventing fires or electrocution.
- Install heavy-duty door thresholds on all facility doors. Thresholds help slow down water seepage.
- Install French Drains if your facility has standing water after rain storms. French Drains help mitigate flooding in areas where water tends to collect.
Tornadoes
- Tornadoes happen so quickly that it is critically important to prepare plans ahead of time for dealing with tenants and the media after a tornado hits. A tornado crisis is really about how you handle the mess afterward.
- Identify on-site locations that are safe to shelter.
- Know who is on the property and where they are at all times.
- With facility damage, structural engineers need to deem your self storage facility safe before anyone can access it.
- Safely accessing your facility may require you to fix issues first. This information, expected time frames, and access procedures need to be communicated to tenants in writing as soon as possible after a tornado hits.
- Have a media crisis management plan ahead of time. The media will want to shoot videos, report on the damage, and talk to tenants.
- It’s crucial that employees document everything with written statements and as many photographs as possible.
Hurricanes
- Board up the facility’s windows when a hurricane is predicted to hit your area.
- Notify tenants in writing by email or text that access to the property will be restricted.
- Like tornadoes, hurricane damage is all about how you handle them afterward.
- Facility damages, access information, expected time frames, and procedures need to be communicated to tenants in writing as soon as possible.
- Have a media crisis management plan in place ahead of time.
- It’s crucial that your team documents everything with detailed written statements and photographs.
Earthquakes
- Earthquakes are random so it’s imperative that you prepare plans ahead of time for dealing with tenants and the media after an earthquake.
- Identify on-site locations that are safe to shelter.
- Know who is on the property and where they are at all times.
- Facility damages, access information, expected time frames, and procedures need to be communicated to tenants in writing quickly.
- Have a media crisis management plan prepared ahead of time.
- Make sure your team documents everything with exhaustive written statements and photographs.
