Storm Season and Business Continuity Update 2017

On August 9^th, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) updated its 2017 hurricane season outlook, spanning June 1 – November 30. Forecasters are now predicting a higher likelihood of an above-normal season, having increased the predicted number of named storms and major hurricanes. Their conclusion: this season has the potential to be severe, and could be the most active since 2010.
Forecasters now say there is a 60-percent chance of an above-normal season, with 14-19 named storms, 5-9 hurricanes and 2-5 major hurricanes.
NOAA stated, “today’s updated outlook underscores the need for everyone to know their true vulnerabilities to storms and storm surge.” Many are aware of their personal risks, though overlook those of their company.
Disaster recovery and business continuity preparation is imperative. Though all organizations experience varying fiscal losses due to temporary business continuity interruptions, the U.S. National Archives & Records Administration states that 60 percent of companies that lose their data are out of business within six months of the disaster. With paper documentation in file drawers and off-site warehousing throughout organizations being vulnerable to wind, water and fire, it’s the business-dependent information contained in this format that forms the foundational loss in a disaster. This problem is systematically eliminated through ECM’s ability to automate both paper’s capture and electronic file conversion, secure storage and access from anywhere staff may be temporarily relocated. ECM is the informational cornerstone of a disaster recovery and business continuity plan for an organization, enabling thorough colocation of all business documentation.