It is my privilege to provide you with an informative page of phone numbers and expert advice from our members. There is no greater time to rely on your business partners in the Pinecrest Business Association than in a crisis situation.

Regards,
Larry Barditch, President
Pinecrest Business Association

Click here for a list of members who provide pre- and post-hurricane services.

For up to date information, call Miami-Dade County info hotline : dial 3-1-1

PREPAREDNESS by Ronnie Weingarden, Servpro of Kendall/Pinecrest

In order to assist you to prepare for the arrival of a hurricane, please download our Quick Guide To Emergency Preparedness with essential information and contact numbers that will help you, your family and your business to be prepared.

COMPUTERS by Wilson Alvarez, 305-Computers

1.   Backups
The most important to any type of disaster prevention task are backups. Many people claim that they actually do backups, but in reality, when the backups need to be restored, they are either worthless, old, or corrupted. Protect yourself by having 3 different types of backups. Redundancy in this case, is VERY important. A backup to another workstation, to a USB hard drive (NOT A FLASH DRIVE) , and an internet backup is the optimal way to backup your data.

2.   Document your programs
You can do all kinds of backups, but if you do not document your programs by having the installation files on CD or hard drive, and the serial numbers, then you will not be able to run your software in the event that your system crashes. Make sure that you have all of your CD's and installation codes in a handy place!

3.   Unplug the systems
During a storm, it is thought that just because we have a UPS system installed on our system that we are protected. The reality is, electricity travels through the modem, network card, and even the electrical cord, even though the system is OFF. Please make sure to unplug all your devices when preparing for a storm.

BANKING by Romy Samtami, Intercredit Bank

Pre-hurricane. Keep in mind your financial institution might not have power immediately after a storm. Hence the banks ATM's, & servers will be down and balances might be unavailable. Keep enough cash on hand for about 5 days. A safe estimate would be $100.00 per day. The monies will be used for gas, medications, food, etc… Many businesses will be without power and will require you to pay in cash. Keep your bills paid ahead of time if possible since Internet and phone lines might be down. Keep a printout of you account just before the hurricane, since banks might not be able to verify the cash in your account should you need to withdraw a large sum of money.

Post-hurricane. Do not rush to the bank to check if your money is there. IT'S THERE. Stay safe. Many services might not be available after the storm such as online banking, bill pay and debit cards. Your bank will be working diligently to restore full service as soon as possible.

INSURANCE by Sarah Washburn, Wilson, Washburn, & Forster

1. Do you have adequate coverage? Now is the time to review your insurance limits and be sure everything is up to date. You should call your agent and speak with them regarding your specific business needs.
2. Everyone needs flood insurance. All of Florida is considered a "flood zone". Your mortgage may not require you to have it, but you should. The folks on the Gulf Coast never thought they would need flood insurance, until it was too late. If you are in flood zone, "X", the rates are very low and the policy is a good buy.
3. Windstorm deductibles have increased over the last several years. Your policy has a windstorm deductible that is 2%, 5% or even 10% of your total insured amount. So, if your building is valued at $1,000,000 (replacement cost) and your deductible is 5% that is equal to $50,000.
4. The cost of construction has increased dramatically in the last several years. As a result, your property may be underinsured. You could be penalized on any claim. You should have an appraisal done at least every 12 - 24 months
5. Business interruption insurance will not cover interruption of power. You must have damage to your insured premises that prevents you from working in order to "trigger" this coverage.
6. Mitigation-work on protecting your home. The state has developed an excellent program to financially help home owners through a matching grant program. You may be able to save yourself hundreds of dollars in premium by making certain improvements. Go to www.mysafefloridahome.com, for more information.
7. State of Florida Assessments. Despite what you hear and read, Florida has not found a solution to the hurricane catastrophe problem. Florida operates a state sponsored insurance company with actuarially unsound rates, a state catastrophe fund which is unfunded and an insurance guarantee association for companies that go broke. The fact is we are paying assessments now for the 2004 and 2005 hurricanes and we could end up paying much higher assessments for a storm that hits anywhere in Florida. The state has established a complex set of assessment priorities which apply to almost any type of policy if the Citizens Property Insurance Company suffers a catastrophe.

Click here for a list of members who provide pre- and post-hurricane services.