Operating Safely & Successfully During Hurricane Season

Photo courtesy Christ Palm, CJ Cleaning Services

Hurricane Beryl was the earliest recorded category-5 storm in the Atlantic basin. It caused catastrophic damage and disrupted millions of lives. Within these communities, business owners, including portable restroom operators, work behind the scenes to support citizens, staff, and emergency workers. In adrenaline-fueled moments, it’s all hands on deck.

However, in highly active years, like 2024, certain regions can still be recovering while bracing for the next challenge. Operating successfully while navigating the storm’s aftermath and readying for another one requires resilience. Read this article to learn how to improve your approach and response.

Storm-Ready: Prepare for Peak Hurricane Season

Tropical storms and hurricanes impact hundreds of millions of people yearly. Historically, the most severe impacts occur during the peak season, around mid-August to mid-October. With the latest update still predicting a busier-than-average season, PROs can take steps to automate their response, reduce service disruption, and provide service to affected areas.

Use these tips to automate, train, and prepare for hurricane season:

• Leverage technology: GPS tracking devices and inventory software help PROs locate, retrieve, and redeploy assets. Email marketing, social media scheduling, and customer relationship management (CRM) tools allow for swift communication with a few clicks.
• Use communication templates: Craft social media messages, emails, website banners, and text messages for possible scenarios like service delays. Store these in the cloud or upload them to the software program.
• Create automated alerts: Set up weather notifications and reminders to trigger specific actions, such as contacting customers, securing equipment, or updating your communication channels.
• Run hurricane response drills: Teach staff how to deal with the effects of storms Frequent training should cover evacuation routes, securing restrooms, managing hazardous conditions, communicating disruptions, and resuming operations post-storm.

Support Customers, Employees, and Communities

Successfully managing clients during emergencies is crucial to your business reputation. But you can’t assist customers or your community without a team by your side. Employee safety and a family-first approach can do more for your brand than any other type of marketing.

Balance employee welfare with business continuity by:

• Confirming how the hurricane impacted workers and their families and what their immediate needs are
• Setting up volunteer rotations for team members to help with recovery efforts, like cleaning up debris
• Considering pay methods like earned wage access (EWA) or on-demand pay, which provides a portion of the employee’s wages before payday

Maintain Critical Portable Sanitation Services

Understanding how to respond and assist during emergencies helps PROs improve community sanitation while earning a living. Establishing partnerships with local emergency services and authorities enables quick access to information and resources. In addition, investments in hurricane-resistant storage facilities and backup power solutions could pay off over the long run.

When preparing your company for emergency response, consider improving or automating communication. You can create an online portal for existing customers through your website, allowing them to report issues, request pickups, or adjust orders. Likewise, you can add temporary live chat tools and manage everything from your mobile phone.

Master the Resilience Cycle

Many PROs learned valuable lessons after Hurricane Ida. Yet, nature’s unpredictability means business owners must prepare without losing money by interrupting operations. Learning to recover and brace for the next disaster is critical for those living in hurricane-prone areas. And for your company to maintain profitability, it’s essential to maximize opportunities, even during states of emergency.

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