How to Prepare Your Construction Jobsites and Teams for Severe Weather

This article is intended as a checklist of considerations when severe weather, such as tropical storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes or derechos strike, not as an all-inclusive safety plan.

NOAA National Weather Service forecasters have predicted an above-normal Atlantic hurricane season in 2024, which runs from June 1 to November 30.

Lee Hart, president and CEO of Houston-based consulting firm Safety by Design, says with natural disasters and other emergencies capable of hitting at any moment, one of the biggest failures he sees among construction contractors is a lack of preparation.

“If you don’t even have a plan, then it’s already too late. Now you’re just scrambling, doing a bunch of random things, and it’s easy to miss steps,” he says. “Every employer is required by law to have emergency action plans in place, and that needs to cover any type of emergency that could affect them.”

Because construction sites often have unsecured piles of materials, unfinished structures and susceptible equipment, they are at a greater risk of damage, collapse or total loss during a storm.

Before a storm ever starts brewing, construction business owners and project managers need to have processes, teams and gear in place for jobsites and the office.

While preparedness plans will be unique to each business and site, Hart recommends the following basic steps:

Create your emergency action plan

• Develop timelines and checklists for actions that need to be taken when a tropical storm is announced, 72 hours before landfall, 48 hours before, 24 hours before, and after the hurricane or tropical storm hits.
• Designate specific team members to: monitor the weather in real time; serve as the main point of contact for employee communication; inventory, secure and remove materials and equipment at jobsites; and backup, secure and create hard copies of critical documents at the office.
• Keep up-to-date hard copies of emergency evacuation plans and emergency contact information for employees and local authorities. Test your communication system once a year to ensure 100 percent accuracy. 
• Assess your firm's financial ability to weather a storm should projects be shut down for multiple weeks or months.
• Organize a damage survey and repair team to assess damage after the storm and make the site safe enough for the entire workforce's return, including remediating exposed electrical wire, hazardous material, or structural damage.

Train and educate your team

• Review the plan with the entire project team, discussing all hazards and dangers to ensure proper implementation in the event of an emergency.
• Conduct drills with key stakeholders and crew members to test the processes and identify any gaps in coverage.
• Hold yearly emergency preparedness toolbox talks to refresh all team members on the proper procedures. FEMA offers dozens of free training resources and courses. 
• Ensure all team members know where copies of the emergency action plan and emergency supplies are located.  

Assemble emergency preparedness materials

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recommends including the following items in a basic emergency supply kit:

• Water (one gallon per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation)
• Food (at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food)
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert
• Flashlight
• First aid kit
• Extra batteries
• Whistle (to signal for help)
• Dust mask (to help filter contaminated air)
• Plastic sheeting, scissors and duct tape (to shelter in place)
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties (for personal sanitation)
• Wrench or pliers (to turn off utilities)
• Manual can opener (for food)
• Local maps
• Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery

Additional materials and equipment you may want to consider include:

• Fuel and fuel storage tanks
• Generators
• Water pumps
• Ground and concrete anchors
• Netting
• Plywood
• Tarps
• Rope
• Power cords
• Portable lighting
• Waterproof boots and rain gear
• Shoring or bracing equipment
• Miscellaneous hardware and fasteners
• Cleaning and decontamination supplies

Before the storm

• Engage your hurricane preparedness team and damage survey and repair team. Communicate to vendors, crews and subcontractors when the jobsite will shut down and any pertinent evacuation plan details.
• Obtain FEMA floodplain maps to determine how vulnerable your sites, equipment yard, and office may be to floods. Identify a rallying point, a safe place or high ground, where crews can reassemble if forced to evacuate in a hurry.
• Secure the jobsite by removing or securing as much loose material, tools or equipment as possible. Dispose of loose scrap material and empty dumpsters. Remove any non-essential signs, barricades, screens and fences. Protect any work in progress by boarding windows, building berms, installing silt fences, sandbagging or capping pipes. Remove, anchor or tiedown any item that could blow away, including storage trailers, scaffolding and portable toilets. Store any other important items in waterproof bags or bins located off the ground in the event of flooding.
• Protect important files by removing or unplugging any electronics, backing up data to external hard drives or flash drives, and moving important documents or jobsite plans to a secure location.
• Finish conducting any vital business functions, such as processing payroll or accounts payable. Assign backups for any staff who may be impacted by Internet outages or future damage.
• Cancel any material deliveries or incoming rental equipment. 
• Check that all generators, water pumps and vehicles are in working order and have full gas tanks.
• Take photos of the jobsite and office to document the conditions before the storm.
• Turn off all water, gas and power and evacuate the site.
• Touch base with local emergency relief and disaster response agencies to get permission ahead of time to enter affected jobsites and discuss your capabilities for possible recovery operations. 

After the storm

• Reconnect with all employees to ensure they are safe and have the basics: food, water, clothing and shelter.
• Assess the damage, being careful of unstable structures and standing water, which may hide hazards.
• Use telematics or tracking devices to locate assets, especially generators, light towers, and compact equipment that are vulnerable to theft. 
• Identify and document any damage to jobsites and equipment. 
• Ensure employees have the necessary details regarding payroll, insurance and available employee assistance programs. Inform employees of when to return to work and any new safety precautions. 
• Communicate the impact of the storm to clients and customers. 
• Get in touch with FEMA and state disaster response agencies to identify potential recovery projects.

Want to learn how your construction company can help clean up and rebuild after disaster strikes? Check out this Equipment World article: How Contractors Can Get Disaster Cleanup Work During 2024 Hurricane Season