Have an alternate contact point for your agency employees after a disaster.  If employees have evacuated to other areas and communication lines are impaired, it may be difficult to communicate with each other. George Chadwick of George Chadwick Insurance in Wilmington has established a relationship with an agency in Atlanta, Georgia.  That agency will serve as a “point of contact”  for George’s employees.  George can call and leave a message for his employees regarding when the agency will re-open, how they can contact him, or any other vital information.  Also, the employee can call the agency in Atlanta and someone there will take information about where they are and how to contact them.  This is like having a virtual “bulletin board” of information that can be shared with everyone in George’s agency. 
 

Redundancy.  Have backup procedures in place.  In case Plan A fails, do you have a Plan B?  For example, you may have a generator to power your phones and computers but what is your contingency plan in the event the generator does not work properly, is stolen, or otherwise incapacitated?  Do you have an alternative plan for phone communication should your electrical system fail and with it your electronic phone system?  - Diane Kelly and Cheri Sommer of Harold W. Wells and Son, Inc. in Wilmington, NC
 

Make plans ahead of time to bring in temporary help for the increased workload that will come.  Sources of this help could be retired employees and family members of current employees
 

Have extra cash on hand.  Banks may be closed, ATM’s may not work.  Cash will be needed for supplies, food, gas, employees who need to be paid.
 

Have cars fully fueled if a hurricane is on the horizon.  Also, keep a repair kit in each vehicle for minor emergency repairs (such as fixing a flat).  Garages and service stations will be overwhelmed if they are open at all.