Gustav Looms as Opportunity

Y! news is reporting that New Orleans is mulling over evacuation due to the looming hurricane threat of Gustav.

First off, just mulling it over? I would already be making reservations in ATL or Dallas. Anyway...

How to leverage Gustav. FUD. Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. "Remember Katrina". What will happen to your customer files, your databases, your paper, your important documents? Storage. Back-up. Removable devices.

Satellite. Cell phones. Hosted PBX (because as long as the NOC is up, voicemail is still working). VoIP Lines with IP Phones and softphones that can work in a hotel in Houston or Atlanta. Just some thoughts running through my head.

Here are some thoughts from the NFIB Florida:

• TRACK current Tropical Storms and Hurricanes here: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
• GET important Hurricane Preparedness and Recovery Information here.
• BE AWARE of your responsibilities under the Florida Price Gouging Law here.
• REGISTER your business with the State Emergency Response Team (SERT) (strongly recommended) here:
• SECURE your computer data from loss in a disaster here.
• RE-ROUTE your shipments with comprehensive road closure information here.
• CONTACT directly the State Emergency Operations Center / Emergency Support Function for Business and Commerce with any special needs your business has here: ESF18@em.myflorida.com

Generators. Canned goods. Guns and ammo. Gasoline. Extension cords. Duct tape. Sleeping bags. Bug spray. Mace. Fill up all vehicles. Water. More water. More duct tape and ammo :) Be safe. Think ahead. Have a plan.