How your management company can support your association – before, during and after a hurricane
The Atlantic hurricane season technically runs from June 1 to November 30. While major hurricanes are traditionally most likely to happen at the height of the season (August and September), the trends are toward bigger and stronger storms earlier in the season. Hurricane Beryl, only the second named storm and first hurricane of 2024, was the earliest recorded Category 5 storm on record, with sustained winds of at least 165 mph. Even making landfall as a Category 1 in Texas, the storm has left more than 3 million people without power and is responsible for at least a dozen deaths across the Caribbean, Mexico and Texas.
Due to higher ocean temperatures, the 2024 storm season is predicted to be busier and produce bigger and stronger storms than in the past. Beryl and other storms in the last few years have been so big and so strong that meteorologists are contemplating adding a higher category for hurricanes – Category 6.
While that might sound scary, having the right property management partner on your side can make managing hurricane season a lot easier. We understand that living in a hurricane-prone area can be stressful and hurricane preparation might feel overwhelming.
Where do you even start? Read on to learn what steps to take and how a great property management company will work with your board to help keep you, your residents and property safe.
Before the storm hits
If you serve on a board in an Alabama community, you know severe storms with pounding rain, destructive winds and localized flooding can take a drastic toll on your property's infrastructure, value, safety, and security. As we’ve seen in Broward County recently, it doesn’t even take a named storm to create devastating flooding in low-lying areas. All association boards should have emergency plans in place.
Create a plan
Create a customized emergency preparedness plan based on your property's equipment, structure, and evacuation routes. Know where your local shelters are and what their requirements and limitations are. This plan should include steps to take before, during, and after the storm, for staff, board and residents. Your property management team should work with your board as early as possible to ensure everyone, including your residents, knows what to do during severe weather. Don’t wait until a storm is imminent to have this critical step in place.
Make sure that you have updated emergency contact information on all residents and know if any residents will need assistance in an evacuation.
Share your plan
Your property management team can support you in communicating your emergency plan well before a storm hits. This includes sending notifications to all residents and reminding them what to do at each stage. Include information about preparing their individual residences, supplies to have on hand, local emergency management information, evacuation protocols and requirements, shelter locations (including pet friendly shelters!), and steps the association is taking to protect property and residents.
Even the most comprehensive hurricane preparedness plan won’t be very effective if no one knows about it. Make sure the plan is communicated in ways to reach everyone in your community: text links to web pages, email information, post fliers and mail notices if necessary, depending on the preferences of your residents.
Make sure your insurance policies are up to date
Understand your coverage and deductibles. Without proper insurance, repairing or rebuilding your property after a disaster could be challenging and lead to special assessments or other increased costs. Speak with your agent before a storm hits.
Examine your insurance policies to make sure they are current, and you understand their limitations, and exclusions. Prepare by keeping an up-to-date inventory of assets with photos and videos for potential insurance claims. (Store those photos, lists and videos in the cloud so they aren’t accidentally destroyed on a local hard drive.) Ensure your insurance broker is familiar with your community and exposures. Discuss the community’s financial exposure when renewing coverage.
During the storm
Keep the community informed
Keep in mind, when a storm hits, your community must have a reliable communication system, like FirstService Residential Connect™. A good system will feature a mass communication tool that can reach your entire community via email, text message or automated phone call in minutes. You should also have a backup communication plan, as many residents may be without electricity or won't have cell phone access if cell towers are down. SMS messages take up far less bandwidth than calls and may be able to get through when other communications cannot.
"Information about a storm and its hazards can change quickly in real-time, and rumors can run rampant," said David Astrello, regional director at FirstService Residential. "During Hurricane Ian in 2022, we realized that many residents weren't getting our email blasts due to a widespread power outage, so we immediately had to pivot. We needed to ensure that the information we were getting in real time was shared with each resident, and the best way to get regular updates to residents was through the building's emergency broadcast system. This allowed us to make regular critical announcements via a speaker system in each resident's unit. This helped us give residents the most up-to-date, accurate information.”
Be flexible
Storms can be difficult to predict, and during a hurricane or severe weather incident, flexibility is essential. Storms can throw even the most well-prepared plans into disarray, and it's vital to be ready to pivot. This might also mean, assuming your property management company manages multiple properties, taking advantage of their available resources.
“Whatever plan you think you have is probably the best-case scenario,” says Anh Nguyen, vice president at FirstService Residential. “Don’t be afraid to assess the current situation and do what works best in that moment.”
Nguyen tells the story that, “When one of our properties temporarily lost water after the storm hit, board members, staff, and volunteers came together and formed a sort of bucket brigade five floors high to deliver water to residents. At the time, this was the most efficient way for residents to receive water.”
“We also set up an amenity center with emergency power and Wi-Fi access that residents could use while their power was out,” said Astrello. “Our goal was to help them feel more connected during the power outage.”
After the storm
Assess the damage
After you’ve confirmed everyone on your property is safe, you can assess the damage to the property and begin restoration efforts. A quality property management company will visually assess the extent of damage in and around your community as soon as possible and contact contractors to pump excess water, clean up hazards and remove debris.
Turn to your emergency response vendors for help
Vendors are critical to your community’s emergency planning for any hurricane or storm. In the wake of Hurricane Ian that hit FirstService-managed properties in 2022, vendors played a crucial role in properties' emergency responses.
After the storm passed and it was safe to travel, management teams got to work. Some elevators in high-rise buildings were temporarily out of service due to power outages. Residents were unable to walk their pets outside; the result was pet waste in the common areas of many buildings. Management teams worked with an emergency response partner to remove hazardous pet waste, and clean and sanitize the buildings.
“We have built great relationships with vendors who specialize in removing hazardous materials,” said Ivy Montero, vice president at FirstService Residential. “We also have vendors who will work to get our elevators back online and even deliver fuel for generators that supply power to our buildings after a hurricane. Our commitment to working with top-notch vendors is a hallmark of our efforts to provide unparalleled service and support to our valued communities.”
When your management company has good relationships with vendors, they may also be able to make sure that your property is high on the priority list when it comes to time for post-storm cleanup and restoration. Consider entering into a no-cost master service agreement to get your community on that priority list. A reputable restoration company such as First Onsite, a sister company to FirstService Residential, will offer this option to its valued clients.
Work with your association’s insurance company
Association board members often find dealing with their association's insurance company the most challenging part of recovery. Your property management company can support your board from start to finish, coordinating with the claims adjuster if needed, documenting the property with "after" photos, addressing any issues and communicating progress with the board. A large enough management company may even have the resources to assist communities with short-term bridge loans so rebuilding can begin while insurance is still processing claims. For example, FirstService Residential’s affiliated entity, FirstService Financial, has established access to a $10 million emergency fund for managed associations affected by storms, including Irma, Harvey, Ian and Michael.
Work to rebuild
Your property management team will support you during rebuilding and recovery so project managers, contractors and other service providers deliver what they promise. They can also help your property with project administration, preparing for construction by developing schedules, communicating rebuilding information with residents, and liaising with your board.
Hiring a professional property management company is one of the best ways to protect your property during a hurricane or other storm. A good management company will have local area experts and go-teams that will work to protect your property before, during, and after the storm.
For more information on how we can help, contact FirstService Residential.