Weather can have a devastating affect on your home business. In the summer of 2007 the UK experienced much higher rainfall than normal. May to July was the wettest 3 months since records began. Around 50,000 houses and 7000 businesses suffered flood damage. As the rain kept coming our flood defenses struggled to cope. Many homes had disruption in their power supply, communications were knocked out and some even had problems with their fresh water supply. Extreme weather caused by climate change seems to be happening more regularly. What can you do to prevent some of the damages caused by freak weather? You could start off with making sure that you have adequate home business insurance. Prepare for the worst by having a Business Continuity Plan. Keep regular backups of crucial data and have plans ready to get your business back on track quickly after a mini disaster. Buy basic equipment like torches, batteries & candles and invest in a small fire extinguisher. Keep some rock salt handy in case of snow or ice. Make sure all your windows and doors are sealed properly. If you have an old chimney, make sure it is still secure and if you do not need it anymore then remove it altogether. Get an electrician in to see if any measures can be taken to protect you from power disruption or surges. Simple measures like having the right cable, decent fuse box and power sockets at least 12 inches above floor level could make a huge difference. Ask your local expert plumber for advice. Check your drains to make sure there are no blockages. You can install non return valves in your drains and toilets so that water can only flow one way. If you have large trees growing beside the house, make sure the branches are trimmed back, especially the ones closest to your house, windows, power lines and telephone lines. Keep an eye on the weather forecasts and if there are storms forecast for your area then make sure you take some simple measures like stowing away any loose items in the garden including garden furniture. Unplug all electrical equipment and make sure they are stored as high as possible. If you have expensive rugs on the floors, roll them up and store somewhere safe. Remove items of sentimental value and take them upstairs. If after all your preparation you still experience some damage contact your insurance company immediately. Take pictures of any damages before you start tidying up again. If at all possible wait until they have managed to inspect the damage before the big clean up. Climate change is happening. There is evidence everywhere. The glaciers are melting, oceans are heating up and we are experiencing higher incidences of extreme weather. In Europe this year records tumbled. Dresden recorded the highest rainfall whilst France was hit by an unprecedented heatwave in modern times. Thousands of people died as a direct result of the heatwave. The majority of the world scientists agree that unless steps are taken now it might become too late to reverse it. We might struggle to influence our politicians but by taking some basic steps our businesses can be better prepared for the future.
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