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Natural disasters are an unfortunate part of life that every part of the world must grapple with. No matter the severity, the path of destruction from disasters like tornados, hurricanes, mudslides, tsunamis, wildfires and earthquakes can drastically impact personnel safety, financial standing, facility operations, supply chain logistics and much more.

Even looking in the U.S. at just a few types of natural disasters, we can see how large the risks can be. In the U.S., flooding remains the country’s top disaster with 21.8 million American homes and businesses at a heightened risk of flooding and damage.¹ A United Nations report shows that disasters such as flood and heat waves have increased fivefold since 1970.² The U.S. has experienced more tornadoes than any other country in the world—averaging more than 1,000 per year since 1990.³ On average, 60,000 wildfires burn 8 million acres a year across the U.S.⁴

The human toll of all of these events has been devasting. Not only have domestic natural disasters taken the lives of thousands, but they are also expensive. Since 1980, overall costs of the over 400 weather- and climate-related catastrophes have exceeded $2.915 trillion.⁵

Identifying emergency supplies and other ways to help reduce risk can help prepare families, communities and businesses when disaster strikes. We’ve created our version of a “RISK” acronym with a few tips to help you prepare for an emergency:

R Reducing Risk
Emergency kits and action plans are the cornerstone for better emergency readiness.⁶ A basic emergency supply kit is designed to help you be better prepared for a loss of power, shelter or food. An emergency supply kit may include water, nonperishable food, battery-powered radio, flashlight, first-aid kit, extra batteries, a whistle, dust mask, plastic sheeting and duct tape, sanitary products, moist towelettes, wrench/pliers, local maps, cell phone with chargers and backup battery and more.

Establishing an adequate action plan can help improve outcomes when inundated with disaster. A shelter plan, evacuation route and communication plan can help improve safety and wellbeing during an emergency. These kits and action plans are best reviewed periodically so the contents remain up to date, as supplies can expire and response strategies may change over time.

 

 

I Insuring your risk
Most homeowners and business policies do not cover flooding, despite 99% of counties in the U.S. having been affected by flooding since 1996.⁷ Identifying resources online such as Federal Emergency

Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) helps depict current flood risk for vulnerable parts of the country, providing a network of more than 47 insurance companies.⁸ Getting a quote to potentially buy a policy can be a good start to help prepare and save money in the event of flooding with adequate recovery costs and resources.

S Sharing information on risk
Discuss the risk of flooding and natural disasters with colleagues, decision-makers, and friends and family to help prepare others if there is a heightened risk in an area. Some ways to share information on risk include identifying potential risk of specific areas, discussing where fully stocked emergency kits are located, and detailing evacuation plans in the event of an emergency.

K Knowledge about your risk
You can utilize online tools such as the National Risk Index to visualize the risk of homes and businesses in an area to promote preparedness in the event of a natural disaster.⁹ Flood maps can help expand understanding of flood zones, which can help improve action plans with proper, up-to-date information.¹⁰

A strong defense against natural disasters can begin with every school, business and community being adequately prepared for the unexpected, which can be a large undertaking.

To help individuals and businesses prepare, Office Depot® Business has emergency supply kit materials available for purchase online at business.officedepot.com.

All content provided herein is for educational purposes only. It is provided “as is” and neither the author nor ODP Business Solutions warrant the accuracy of the information provided, nor do they assume any responsibility for errors, omissions or contrary interpretation of the subject matter herein.

 

 

Explore how Office Depot Business can help you get ready for disasters by visiting: business.officedepot.com

1 https://blogs.edf.org/growingreturns/2020/07/15/americans-flood-risk/
2 https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/09/1098662
3 https://www.britannica.com/story/why-does-the-united-states-have-more-tornadoes-than-any-other-country
4 https://www.cbo.gov/publication/58212
5 https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/
6 https:/www.ready.gov/kit
7 https://www.floodsmart.gov/flood-zones-and-maps/what-is-my-flood-risk
8 https://www.floodsmart.gov/policy-quote/
9 https://www.fema.gov/flood-insurance
10 https://msc.fema.gov/portal/home

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