‘As ready as ready can be’

As I write this on the morning of Sept. 11, 2017, rain is falling outside my home office in metro Atlanta from what is now Tropical Storm Irma. Currently, the wind is predicted to pick up this afternoon, with gusts exceeding 55 mph. This area is subject to flash floods, falling trees, power loss, and potential tornadoes.

Most businesses and schools throughout the state of Georgia have closed today. Employers are taking the steps necessary to ensure their workers’ safety. Those of us who work from home are able to do so as long as we have power and, in my case, an internet connection.

My house is surrounded by tall trees, and I’m most concerned about one or more falling. I just hope that I’m not in the path, should this happen. While my concern is valid, it’s nothing when I think about all that those in South Florida have endured in the last 24 hours.

First Harvey in Texas and now Irma in Florida. Both serve as powerful reminders of just how important emergency preparations and taking warnings seriously are—important for business survival, but more important for human survival.

I imagine many of us have friends and family in the areas affected by these hurricanes. We’ve all watched news coverage of evacuations and of holdouts who defy evacuation requests, even mandatory. There are many reasons why those who decide to stay in harm’s way do so. Hopefully, they have taken every possible precaution to ensure their safety amid such powerful, destructive forces.

I have friends and family in South Florida. Most evacuated. Those who live in the Naples area are worried about what they might find when they return home, but they are happy that they chose to leave.

One couple I know did not leave. They are (or were; I don’t know where they are now) in a house near the Gulf in Naples. Along with them are the wife’s elderly parents; the father is disabled and must be carried wherever he goes. The last news I had about them—early yesterday afternoon—was that they had lost power and cell reception and they that were in the path of a 10- to 15-ft. storm surge. This couple had the knowledge and financial ability to leave, but chose not to. They also chose not to go to a shelter, although they may well be there now. That would be the best-case scenario.

To me, there really is no good excuse for not heeding warnings and doing all one can to remain safe during an event that usually comes with sufficient notice. At the very least, make sure that all safety precautions are taken to secure your surroundings and well-being and have an emergency plan in place should the worst happen.

Smart shops also have emergency plans and reinforce them by communicating them to employees and tweaking them as necessary to ensure survival of both the business and its workers.

One in three small businesses have felt the impact of storms or extreme weather, and nearly 40 percent do not reopen after being hit by a natural disaster.

Outside Fusion Metalworks post Irma.

Hopefully, you have a good plan in place. The Small Business Administration offers resources to help you verify that you are covering all the bases.

Responding to a post on The Fabricator’s Facebook page about Harvey and Irma, Darin Beaner commented on Sept. 8 that “Fusion Metalworks (South Ft. Myers, Fla.) is as ready as ready can be for Irma.”

We asked Darin this morning how things were. He said, “Just left shop, all intact inside, light damage outside. Power is out; once our employees gather themselves up, we will be running by Wednesday.”He posted many photos to confirm his findings.

Fusion Metalworks had a good plan. Its location in proximity to water also may have helped.

Do you have a good plan?

You can read more about Fusion Metalworks in the article "Fabrication minus the relaxation" on thefabricator.com.

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