Hurricane Helene materialized within a few days and was ranked as the deadliest storm in U.S. history since Hurricane Katrina before landing in Florida and causing widespread devastation across the Southeastern U.S. A week later, Hurricane Milton hit Florida and caused further destruction in some of the areas that had just been hit by Helene.

What can we learn from these storms? The biggest lesson is that we need to start taking storm risks more seriously and focus on preparedness. Another weather disaster will happen.

Independent agents can help their homebuilder and construction clients avoid or better manage the impacts of catastrophic weather through various approaches. To help businesses minimize risk and avoid the costs of future claims, here are five components to a preparedness plan that agents can help their construction clients implement:

1) Comprehensive risk assessment. Business leaders should perform comprehensive risk assessments and ensure all documentation is in order. Qualitative and quantitative risk assessments should include potential risks following a hurricane and flooding, including human, strategic, financial, operational, legal and criminal risks.

2) Commercial insurance basics. Commercial policies address hurricanes and severe storms differently. It is extremely important to review the myriad of possible interrelated policies and their clauses, such as rental reimbursement and business interruption. There are also additional policies available that can make a huge difference based on the industry beyond general liability, umbrella and business continuity.

3) Communication. Homebuilders and construction companies should establish communications protocols, such as text groups, call trees and hidden websites, and acquire equipment, including generators, satellite phones and more. They should also clarify who makes what decisions and who reaches out to whom on behalf of various audiences.

4) Regular inventories and updates. It's essential for companies to regularly take a full inventory, prepare a video archive of their assets and regularly update policies to reflect purchases or property updates. Frequent construction status updates are also essential for documentation.

5) Site preparations. When a hurricane is closing in, construction clients should have a site assessment and preparation checklist that addresses these questions:

• Can the company board up or otherwise close a site?
• What potential projectiles are present, both incoming and outgoing?
• What can be tied down or removed?
• Should signage be removed?
• Can supplies be moved to a secure location?
• Can power be disconnected to prevent fires?
• What water run-off issues exist?

Having a disaster plan in place may seem trivial or like an afterthought for a business, but organizations need to take preparedness seriously and follow through for the sake of loved ones, the team and the health of the business.

What to Do When a Storm Hits

After ensuring the team is safe from harm, the importance of quick triage and prioritization can make a world of difference in a homebuilder or construction client's recovery.

One of the best ways to evaluate damage or losses is to have an established chain of command. Even before a storm hits, a business should establish the person or persons who will access work sites and provide real-time updates.

Whoever is leading the chain of command should have a detailed plan to restart operations. This can involve connecting with employees, determining if road conditions are safe, securing the site, determining whether buildings have functioning utilities, assessing if it is safe to re-enter and determining if there are enough supplies to return to work. It's essential to be realistic about the situation and keep employee safety top of mind.

As the stormwater recedes and planning begins for the next steps, businesses should consider the following questions:

• How has the team been affected and how does that impact returning to work?
• For those who cannot return, how can the company help?
• What travel assistance can the business provide for those who can return to work but face transportation challenges?
• Must the company legally—or can it graciously—pay those who are unable to return immediately?
• What additional steps should the company take to secure its work sites?
• What supplies does the company have that it can donate to those in need as it reassesses its own timeline?

After severe weather strikes, it is critical to document the damage. Clients should take photos and videos of their business assets as part of their pre-storm management and safety practices. Store the footage somewhere safe and keep a backup copy elsewhere. Insureds often leave money on the table because they can't remember every piece of business equipment they owned before storm damage. However, if they have everything in photos and videos, they can present that to an adjuster, making the entire claims process much easier.

Clayton Matthews leads the claims department at Oakbridge Insurance, a Lloyd's syndicate for coastal property with a business specialty in working with homebuilders through its nearly 50-year-old national Webber Homebuilders Program.