A hurricane business continuity plan for Volusia County should cover more than closing the office. It needs to explain how staff will check in, how customers will get updates, how business calls will be handled, and how employees can securely reach essential systems if the workplace is unavailable.
Build the plan before a storm is approaching, then test the steps with the people who will use them. Staff safety and official emergency instructions always come first. Volusia County businesses can also review the county’s small-business preparedness guidance as they prepare.
Before hurricane season: make the plan usable
Keep the plan short enough to follow under pressure. Assign owners for communications, phone coverage, remote access, and system recovery. Make sure each owner knows who can take over if they are unavailable.
- Set a staff check-in method. Choose a primary channel and a backup. Explain when staff should check in, who collects responses, and what to do if the usual messaging app or email is unavailable.
- Prepare an offline contact sheet. Keep current employee and key vendor contact details somewhere authorized staff can access without a company network. Protect sensitive information and limit who receives a copy.
- Write down customer communication steps. Decide who can post closure notices, update business hours, and respond to urgent customer questions. Identify the approved channels and prepare a brief message that can be adapted when needed.
- Document phone handling. Record who can change call routing, greetings, voicemail, or forwarding. Confirm which options still work if the office internet or power is unavailable.
- List essential systems and owners. Identify the tools employees need to keep priority work moving, who authorizes access, and where to get help if a system is unavailable.
Do not make a single app, office phone, or employee the only path for a critical update. A backup channel is useful only if staff know how to use it and have the necessary contact details.
Prepare internet, phones, and power as separate dependencies
Internet access, phone service, and electrical power are connected, but they are not interchangeable. A battery backup for network equipment will not keep an internet provider’s wider network working, and an alternate internet connection will not help if the phones or devices have no power.
- Check the full connection path. Identify the equipment and services your staff rely on, such as the modem, router, firewall, network switches, phones, and cloud phone service. Ask your providers what happens if the office loses power or its normal connection.
- Plan for backup power. Determine which equipment needs temporary power and how long it must stay available for your plan to work. Have the appropriate person check that backup equipment is suitable for your site and can be used safely.
- Confirm phone continuity. Test whether calls can be routed to an approved alternate number, whether voicemail can be checked remotely, and who can change the business greeting. If you use a cloud phone system, confirm how staff will access it when their usual internet connection is unavailable. Learn more about business phone system planning.
- Choose an alternate connection where it makes sense. Confirm whether staff have an approved way to connect if the business internet is down. Do not assume that a personal hotspot or other connection will be available during an emergency.
Secure remote access before the office closes
Remote access should be set up and tested in advance, not improvised during a closure. Decide which staff need access to which systems, what devices they may use, and whom to contact when access fails. Use approved devices and access methods, and keep sensitive business information within the systems your organization has authorized.
- Confirm employees can sign in from an off-site location using their approved device and account.
- Check that access controls, authentication steps, and account recovery procedures work as intended.
- Make sure staff know how to contact support if they cannot connect. A written support route is useful when company email is inaccessible.
- Review access for people who no longer need it and keep instructions for granting or changing access with the responsible administrator.
For a broader look at recovery planning, see this guide to IT disaster recovery for Daytona businesses.
When a storm may trigger a closure
Use a clear activation process so staff are not left guessing whether the office is open or how to work. Identify who makes the business closure decision and how that decision will be shared. Monitor AlertVolusia notifications and relevant city updates. Follow official instructions; business continuity tasks should never delay evacuation or put employees at risk.
- Send the closure status, staff check-in instructions, and the approved customer communication plan through the primary channel.
- If internet access is unavailable but voice calls work, use the documented call tree or designated contact process. If both are unavailable, staff should follow the pre-agreed safety and check-in plan rather than taking risks to find a connection.
- Have the assigned person update the business phone greeting or call routing, if those services are available.
- Pause work that depends on unsafe access to the building, equipment, or records.
After the storm: restore communications carefully
Do not assume that an apparently working network is ready for normal business. First confirm that staff can safely access the workplace. Then check with relevant providers about service availability and have qualified personnel inspect equipment or areas that may have been affected by water or damage. Do not power on wet or visibly damaged equipment.
Restore systems in a deliberate order: confirm power and connectivity, check network equipment, test phone handling, and then verify that employees can securely reach the systems they need. Keep staff and customers informed if service remains limited. If a system or backup needs recovery, use your documented process and confirm that critical information is available before returning to routine work. A backup and restore test can help reveal gaps before a real disruption.
Frequently asked questions
What should a business include in a hurricane communications plan?
Include staff check-in instructions, customer update responsibilities, a primary and backup contact method, phone routing instructions, and the names of the people authorized to send updates.
How can employees securely access work systems from home?
Set up approved remote access in advance, define which staff and devices can use it, and test sign-in and support procedures before a storm threatens. Do not rely on improvised access methods.
What should a business test before hurricane season?
Test remote sign-in, call routing and voicemail, staff contact procedures, backup power for essential equipment, and the steps for recovering important systems. Record who owns each step and how to get help.
How should a business handle restoration after a storm?
Confirm the site is safe, check for equipment damage, verify provider service, and restore systems in a controlled order. Keep people informed, and do not power on wet or visibly damaged equipment.
Make continuity a routine, not a last-minute task
A practical plan gives your team clear roles, alternate communication routes, tested remote access, and a safe path back to normal operations. Review it as your systems and staff change. Zevonix provides managed IT and technology services for businesses across Volusia County, including 24/7 monitoring and help desk support. To discuss your business’s continuity needs, call (386) 260-0777.