The Atlantic hurricane season, lasting from early June to late November, is when 97% of tropical storm activity occurs. Four Category 3 storms – Dennis, Katrina, Rita and Wilma – hit the U.S. during this time in 2005. Katrina alone caused more than 1,300 deaths and an estimated $100 billion in damage, easily making it the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history.

According to NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season outlook indicates an 80% chance of an above-normal hurricane season, with 13-16 named storms, 8-10 hurricanes and 4-6 major hurricanes.

As of June 12, the National Hurricane Center had already issued a hurricane warning for Florida's Gulf Coast from the Tampa area north to near Tallahassee. Tropical Storm Alberto, the first named storm of the season, was just shy of hurricane status.

Prevailing in the Past
Heeding forecasted warnings, keeping your plans up to date and following BCP tip sheets like the one shown below are all good steps toward prevailing over severe weather. Another effective practice is by seeing what went right and what went wrong during real-life crises, such as the ones listed below. Simply click on the organization name of the case study you’d like to read:

• Baker Botts, a legal firm serving a worldwide client base, works through Tropical Storm Allison.
• United Bank utilizes PLANet during Hurricane Ivan.
• Constellation Energy, a Fortune 200 energy company, and the massive Category 5 Hurricane Isabel.
• Mercedes-Benz USA utilizes LDRPS during Hurricane Floyd.
• Sprint Nextel utilizes LDRPS during Hurricane Katrina.

Double Hurricane Jeopardy
Considering the ominous forecast, the chances of being slammed by multiple hurricanes within a short amount of time is not out of the question. In this situation, even the most prepared business continuity planners are at serious risk for a major setback. A big key is using LDRPS to identify exactly what resources to which you need access in order to greatly increase your chances of having a complete recovery.

Considering various scenarios plays a big part in the development process of every Strohl product. For the specific scenario mentioned above, the following LDRPS features can play a tremendous role in maintaining the life of your business.

• Interdependencies – In LDRPS, you can identify what critical processes must be completed before other processes are performed. This is important since you may have separate processes that are performed at different buildings which rely on each other. For example, your customer service center may depend on an application that was run out of a data center three states away.
• Overloaded Workstations – If you didn’t count on more than one crisis affecting your organization, you may not have planned to recover more than one workstation at your recovery site. Using the LDRPS report “Overloaded Workstations,” you’re able to find out if you are in danger of an overloaded workstation.
• Location Summary – What happens when you’ve planned on using the same space for two locations and they both are heavily damaged? Using the Location Summary report, you’re able to figure out exactly how much space you need in case the worst happens…times two.
• Materials Summary Reports – These reports will give you a day-by-day snapshot of the minimum amount of materials you’ll need for a recovery. You will be able to
  see what equipment, supplies, software, telecom and
  assets are necessary for each department, server,
  building or buildings that have been affected.

Here are a few tips on how to minimize potential business disruptions in the event of a hurricane: Hurricanes will affect an entire region, not just one business. Expand the scope of the plan to consider the impact of a regional disaster. Inform employees of hurricane evacuation routes in the region. Place sensitive electronic equipment and vital records on high ground before evacuating. Airports and local transportation may be shut down. Be prepared to recover without out-of-town personnel. Stockpile food, potable water and medical supplies for the command center. Pre-purchase enough plywood, nails and tape to cover all glass on the facility. When a hurricane is pending, these are in short supply. Evaluate and assess temporary space for the organization in the event the building cannot be immediately occupied. Be prepared to set up on-site day care in the aftermath. Purchase gas-powered generators and portable pumps.

For more information on LDRPS or any other Strohl product or service, contact your sales representative at 800 634-2016, +1-610-768-4120, or at info@strohlsystems.com.