As spring and summer storms rage across the nation, it’s worth taking a moment to think about your company’s plans to recover in the event of severe and damaging weather. It’s a mistake to underestimate the damage that can come with moderate and severe thunderstorms, and the health of your business in an emergency often depends on your careful forethought and planning.
Damage from a severe storm may range from major to minor, but even relatively minor damage can have a big effect on your daily operations and bottom line. In the course of just a few days, hours, or minutes, you could find yourself suddenly facing expenses and delays from:
- Cosmetic damage and broken windows. Even minor storm damage, such as a broken window, torn siding, or a few loose shingles, can be expensive to fix and damaging to your brand image.
- Damage to company vehicles. Although damage to buildings is often a main focus, company vehicles can also suffer costly damage in severe storms. Hail, fallen objects, and wind-blown projectiles can cause extensive vehicle damage and impact daily operations that depend on company transportation.
- Roof damage. Heavy rain, high winds, and hail can cause costly damages to your roofing, or in some severe cases, even lift the roof right off your building.
- Water damage. Prolonged rains can turn small leaks into major damage, cause pipes and sewers to back up, and more. Even a small break in a window or weather seal can allow a damaging amount of water to seep in.
- Lightning and fire damage. Severe electrical storms may be responsible for fire, explosions, and damage to electrical equipment when lightning strikes.
- Severe structural damage or building collapse. Whether directly damaged by the storm or indirectly damaged by fallen trees and debris, buildings can suffer severe structural damage in a storm and may even be a total loss.
- Lost profit while locations are closed for assessment and repair. If a location has to close due to storm damage, it’s going to impact your bottom line. Taking immediate and appropriate action to recover is the key to mitigating loss in the aftermath of severe weather.
Although your company is insured against storm damage, you may be surprised to learn that collecting damages from a commercial insurance claim can be a difficult and lengthy process. If your business has been damaged by a severe storm, our experienced legal team can provide immediate assistance, assessment, and action to help you recover as soon as possible. To learn more, reach out to our team today, and request your complimentary copy of our guide, Commercial Property Owners Must Read This BEFORE Filing an Insurance Claim.
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