No one knew on Saturday, August 22, 1992, that Hurricane Andrew would turn out to be the largest natural disaster in the nation’s history. No one could predict that it would supersede Hurricane Hugo as the costliest disaster ever and cause over five times the damage of that 1989 storm. At the IBM Business Recovery… Continue reading Hurricane Andrew: The Mother of All Disasters

1992 has been a horrible year for disasters of all kinds. Earthquakes, riots, floods and now hurricanes have caused unprecedented damage. Unlike the Chicago Flood, business’ biggest disaster ever, Hurricane Andrew wreaked a terrible human toll. I visited south Florida recently, and was shocked to see many residential areas are still piles of rubble. Although… Continue reading Hurricane Andrew: The Human Side of Hurricane

Hurricane Bob sent us threatening signals, but Mother Nature spared the Virginia and North Carolina coast from major damage. As veterans of “hurricane havoc” as recently as two years ago with the onslaught of Hurricane Hugo, everyone initiated prudent precautions to protect their assets. In the south, our recent experiences told us to prepare for… Continue reading We Were Spared! Hurricane Bob

By almost any traditional measure, Hurricane Andrew was the worst natural disasters in disaster recovery history. In addition to the staggering human cost, the valuation of destroyed property was the largest in United States history. At the time of this special report, thousands of individuals and families remain homeless, with no prospects for returning home… Continue reading Nations Costliest Disaster

10 STEPS THAT BUSINESSES SHOULD TAKE BEFORE THE WIND BLOWS “I know but…I never thought that my business would be impacted by a hurricane.” Unfortunately, this statement made by a business owner impacted by Hurricane Andrew in 1993, is indicative of the reasoning by many businesses across the country. Although major hurricanes are relatively rare,… Continue reading Hurricane Preparation for Businesses

The best laid plans of mice and men…” would find it a struggle to deal with Andrew’s wrath and the damage it left in its wake. The psychological and financial scars will be felt for many years to come. Physical preparation to “batten down the hatches” had guidelines to follow, but dealing with the intangible… Continue reading Wind, Water, Devastation: Restoration Priorities Meet Hurricane Andrew

At Midnight, September 21, 1989, the most destructive hurricane ever to strike the U.S. hit South Carolina with its full fury. And while Southern Bell and its employees staggered, they never fell. By many measures, it was Southern Bell’s finest hour. Despite more than $7 billion of damage to personal property and businesses statewide, most… Continue reading Southern Bell’s Network and Planning Stands the Test of Hugo

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Shattering the lives and homes of residents of the Carolinas, Hurricane Hugo also blasted data centers with floods, wind and the cessation of the blood of computers – electric power. Although some larger enterprises had emergency power generators, and others managed to borrow them, many organizations simply had to back up the… Continue reading MIS Damages From Hurricane Unfolding

Nearly three weeks have passed since that ‘tempestuous rage’ Hurricane Hugo slammed through Charleston, S.C. At the stroke of midnight on September 21, Hugo unleashed 135 m.p.h. winds, pushing a 12 to 17 foot wall of water that threatened to destroy everything in its path. Hurricane Hugo caused $3,984 million in insured losses, making it… Continue reading Hugo Bulldozes Insured Losses To The Billions

Hurricane Bob was the first hurricane to strike the northeast United States since Hurricane Gloria in 1985. Bob strengthened to a hurricane on August 17, while centered 205 miles east of Daytona Beach, Florida. Bob moved parallel to the United States mid-Atlantic coast and headed toward New England. The hurricane passed over Long Island and… Continue reading Hurricane Bob: A Report from the National Hurricane Center