No matter where your business is located in the U.S. your business is at risk for a natural disaster or severe weather event—and that risk is growing.
Climate change, rising property values, and inflation are among the reasons experts cite for more billion-dollar weather events. According to Climate Central, there were 25 such events in the U.S. in 2025, totaling $115 billion in damages. These events include snowstorms, droughts, tornadoes, derechos, flooding, and hailstorms.
Natural disasters can strike without warning. Developing a preparedness plan, educating your employees, maintaining your structures, and updating your insurance coverage all help ensure your business can continue operations after a natural disaster.
How to make a weather emergency plan for businesses
To create an effective and sustainable emergency plan, start by building a well-rounded preparedness team. Select employees from across your organization, including supervisors and representatives from all shifts and roles.
Sit down with your team and develop a step-by-step plan for pre- and post-storm damage control. Designate specific people for tasks and ensure everyone understands their role. Don’t forget backup plans for long periods of time without power. Have items such as generators and fuel at the ready.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security provides a good starting point in developing a response and recovery plan. Tailor your plan to fit your business and your unique operations, working with your human resources and safety teams.
Educate your employees
Once you’ve developed a plan, review and update the plan with your employees on an annual basis. Most importantly, regularly conduct emergency drills that follow your plan to identify gaps and get workers used to the routine.
Create a safety map
As part of this plan, create a facilities map that identifies fire extinguishers, emergency exits, first aid stations, storm shelters, and other important locations such as pesticide and chemical storage areas. Your insurance company can help you in this process since they’re already familiar with your operations. With Hortica®, a brand of the Sentry Insurance Group, our safety services team can help you develop an emergency plan, conduct training, and provide educational resources.
Develop an emergency contact list
Gather contact information for any person or organization that can help in the aftermath of a storm. Make sure the list includes your insurance agent and carrier. They can talk you through the next steps and provide valuable information about how to file a claim and document damage.
Inspect and maintain your structures
Conducting regular inspections and maintenance on your structures—such as greenhouses, storage sheds, and retail shops—helps increase their longevity and protect your crops, equipment, and inventory stored inside.
Regular maintenance can also help mitigate damage from inclement weather such as hail, high winds, and heavy rain. This is especially important now, as the cost of materials and labor continues to rise due to inflation, supply issues, and worker shortages.
Your maintenance routine should encompass a wide range of tasks, including regularly securing materials such as loose clips, bar caps, and roofing tiles. Don’t forget the trees on your property—remove loose, weak, or low-hanging branches, which could break away in high winds.
For facilities with greenhouses, a key priority is ensuring that greenhouse bracing remains in optimal condition. Corroded, damaged, or loose bracing compromises structural integrity, leaving the greenhouse vulnerable to failure during high winds or heavy snow loads.
Insurance coverages to consider before severe weather
One of the biggest safety parachutes for your business is having adequate insurance coverage that’s customized to your horticultural business.
When it comes to coverage options, these three are important to consider to help protect your business in the event of a natural disaster:
Real property
Helps cover what’s considered real estate, such as buildings, greenhouses, and other structures attached to the land (e.g., out buildings, garages, and fences).
Personal property/crop
Helps cover losses to equipment, supplies, stock, inventory, and crops due to severe weather events.
Business interruption insurance
Helps cover additional expenses to keep your operations running and helps supplement lost income if your business is disrupted due to a natural disaster.
Review your insurance policy annually
Your horticultural business is ever-changing, and your insurance policy should reflect those changes. For instance, if you build a new greenhouse on your property, make sure it’s added to your policy. It’s crucial to ensure your insurance coverage aligns with your business’s evolving assets.
Preparation is the key to mitigating losses related to natural disasters and severe weather. With proper planning and execution, your business can continue to thrive as the risk of climate-related disasters continues to grow.
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