If evacuation is required, you may not be able to take everything you would like with you. Here are some tips for securing home office and business materials and equipment.
DO make sure you have your backup of your computer with you or secure in an alternate location. (see “Online Backups” in the New Technology section)
For equipment that must be left behind:
. Take pictures of all office furniture and neglect nothing. That chair may not be worth much until you have to replace it.
. Unplug all equipment from Internet connections and electrical power.
. Seal all computers in plastic bags and tape securely.
. Don’t forget credit card machines, printers, fax machines, telephones, and the like.
. Place equipment on a table to protect from flooding and if possible place another piece of furniture over it to protect from falling debris. A chair placed over the PC on a table will help protect your PC from falling ceiling tiles should that happen.
. Seal all important business papers, tools, and printed materials in water-tight containers.
Consider what you will need right away to get back to business.
Make sure you have secured business essentials so you can immediately get back to business when the storm passes. This might include invoices, credit card machines, contact numbers, additional supplies, bank reserves, cleaning supplies, wet vacuum, etc.
