The Importance of Disaster Preparedness at Multifamily Communities
Climate change has caused extreme weather, which could affect apartment buildings. Are you prepared?
A house on my block burned down right around Christmas last year.
Thankfully, no one was hurt. But, of course, it was still devastating. The loss of property, but also the loss of all possessions. Of memories in that house.
The scariest part of all that is that this can happen to anyone, anywhere. You can’t predict when bad things will happen. But you can be prepared.
We know the importance of preparing for the worst. For multifamily owners and operators, it is especially important to have a plan of action for disasters. And in the face of more extreme weather events—such as hurricanes, tornadoes and wildfires—due to climate change, it’s crucial to be prepared.
Owners should make sure that buildings are up to code, are watertight, can withstand wind or can deal with other area-specific risks.
Alex Glickman of Gallagher shared perhaps the most important piece of advice with reporter Gail Kalinoski for her article, “Get Ready for More Climate-Related Storms.” Said Glickman: “Don’t be cheap when it comes to protecting the asset.”
In addition to preparing the infrastructure during the development phase, there’s a lot you can do with residents and on-site teams to make sure that everyone can respond appropriately in an emergency, including creating checklists for the team, stocking up on nonperishable food and bottled water and testing emergency equipment to make sure it’s working properly.
Communication is always important, as well. You can set up email blasts and mass text messages to let residents know what to do during an emergency, as well as for afterward so they can help assess damage. That information could also be helpful to the insurance company. And it will make your renters feel safer at the property overall.
“If you have that emergency preparedness plan and you’re sharing it with folks and talking about it, it really helps to reinforce trust between tenants and owners of buildings,” Joanna Frank of Fitwel and the Center for Active Design told Kalinoski. “Then obviously trust goes a long way toward brand and perception.”
