Each year, hurricane season poses significant risks to buildings, facility operations and communities. The recent 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina is a stark reminder of the devastation hurricanes can bring, underscoring the importance of preparation and efficient emergency response.
In 2024 alone, the Atlantic basin experienced 11 hurricanes, five of which made landfall, including two that intensified to Category 5 storms. These events resulted in an economic impact of approximately $124 billion, with Hurricane Helene ranking as the seventh most costly Atlantic hurricane on record. With the potential for more hurricanes in 2025, it is critical to prioritize the protection of buildings and building occupants and ensure swift building restoration and operational recovery in the aftermath of disaster.
Strategic Preparation for Hurricane Season
A comprehensive and well-structured preparedness plan is central to mitigating hurricane-related damage. Property managers, building owners and businesses should adopt proactive measures to safeguard both people and property before, during and after the storm.
Evacuation Planning: Prioritizing Occupant Safety
A robust evacuation plan is essential to ensure the safety of all building occupants. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) outlines several key elements every evacuation plan should contain:
- Clearly defined conditions that activate the plan
- A structured chain of command
- Designated emergency functions and assigned personnel
- Specific evacuation routes and exit strategies
- Procedures for accounting for all personnel, customers and visitors
- Necessary equipment for personnel
To ensure the plan’s effectiveness, it is vital to communicate it thoroughly to all stakeholders. This includes conducting regular training sessions, evacuation drills and awareness programs on hurricane warning systems, local emergency protocols and available shelters. Periodic updates to the evacuation plan are necessary to reflect changes in building operations or community resources.
Emergency Response: Mitigating Damage and Facilitating Recovery
A swift and coordinated emergency response is critical to reducing the long-term impacts hurricanes can have on buildings. Water intrusion, for instance, can lead to structural degradation and mold growth if not addressed promptly and professionally. In the aftermath of a storm, conducting a detailed damage assessment by qualified experts is essential, particularly due to the potential presence of hazardous materials, waste, debris and chemicals.
Assemble the Right Response Team
An effective emergency response involves collaboration among several key professionals, including:
- Licensed structural engineers to evaluate the safety and integrity of the building
- Certified industrial hygienists to assess environmental health risks such as mold, asbestos or chemical exposure
- Restoration and remediation contractors to manage cleanup and repair efforts
- Insurance adjusters to accurately document damage and support insurance claims
Early engagement of these professionals ensures that mitigation efforts are both effective and fully compliant with local regulations. In addition, maintaining a clear chain of communication between property managers, response teams, and relevant local authorities helps streamline decision-making, prioritize critical actions and accelerate the return to normal operations.
Tailor Emergency Plans for Unique Properties
Every property has its own set of vulnerabilities, which is why emergency response strategies should be customized. Tailoring a plan to a building’s specific operations, systems and occupant needs will lead to a more focused and effective recovery process. Drawing on lessons from past catastrophic events such as Hurricanes Katrina, Ike, Harvey, and others, can also inform better planning and execution.
Leverage Technology for Faster, Smarter Recovery
To enhance the speed and accuracy of emergency response, incorporating digital tools and mobile technologies is key to not only improving the quality and reliability of field data but also enabling better coordination across teams. By consolidating field, lab and analytical data in one place, property managers can track progress virtually, identify issues early and maintain confidence that response and recovery milestones are on track.
Next Steps: TRC Can Help
The growing intensity and frequency of hurricanes demand more than just basic preparation. They require a strategic, well-coordinated approach tailored to your building’s unique vulnerabilities. TRC is here to help property managers and building owners protect their assets, ensure occupant safety and recover quickly when disaster strikes.
By combining decades of experience with advanced technology and nationwide response capabilities, we deliver customized support at every stage of hurricane preparedness and recovery.
TRC offers a full suite of building emergency response services, including:
- Customized emergency response and recovery strategies aligned with your specific goals
- Rapid response crews deployed when disaster strikes
- Moisture mapping and infrared imaging to identify impacted building materials
- Accurate scope development for insurance and repairs
- Full-service project management from cleanup to completion
- Mobile Digital Solutions via a custom app to deliver information in real-time to our clients, allowing them to track progress through a virtual dashboard
Accelerating Recovery with TRC’s Mobile Data Solutions
Speed and accuracy are critical in the aftermath of a storm. TRC integrates its proprietary Mobile Data Solutions platform into emergency response operations to enhance both.
Field teams capture geotagged photographs, moisture mapping results and chain-of-custody documentation directly in mobile-enabled forms, which are securely uploaded in real time for project management oversight. This digital enablement improves the quality and thoroughness of field data collection, reduces errors, and helps protect affected properties by ensuring that critical information is available immediately to all stakeholders. Consolidating field, laboratory and analytical outputs into a centralized, cloud-based dashboard allows clients to track progress virtually, receive actionable insights faster and maintain confidence that response and recovery goals are met on schedule.
To learn more about our solutions, contact us today.
