With the damages of Hurricane Sandy still emerging along its East Coast path and more than 8.1 million homes and businesses hit with power outages, it becomes clear how important disaster preparation and a quick response are.

Sandy’s economic toll is set to be over $20 billion, $7 billion of which is estimated to be insured losses. These numbers are difficult to conceptualize, but when it comes to your property, your tenants, and your team the damages become very real. The climate, electric companies and other factors may be beyond your control, but the way your company responds, communicates and anticipates natural disasters is not.

To prepare for a similar event, here are some basic things you can do now to ensure the safety of your occupants and staff, as well as reduce property damage.

1. Assess Your Level of Readiness Against Best Practices:

Learn more about Building Engines’ Risk Management tools.