Hurricane preparedness for oil & gas industry policyholders

Jim MacDonnell, of BDO USA, LLP, says: “When everyone was in the same office, you just had to worry about that backup generator. When they are working from home you have no control over when those services are restored,” he says. “Having discussions about personal preparedness was beneficial to companies last year and it will be again this year.” (Credit: weerapong/Adobe Stock)

With a potentially record-breaking hurricane season underway and the most severe portion of it a few months out, now is the time for oil and gas policyholders to ensure they are prepared for extreme weather events. This includes taking the usual precautions businesses deploy, but as with most things post-pandemic, there are a few new points to reflect on.

“We also have to take into consideration that the world looks very different today than it did last hurricane season,” says Jim MacDonnell, director of crisis management and business continuity at BDO USA LLP. “More people are vaccinated and more are used to working from home. Those day-to-day complications of operating in the COVID environment are more stable.”