Hurricanes and tropical storms get considerable attention in the Caribbean, but the region is also subject to frequent earthquakes. In this article, we revisit disaster planning and resiliency and outline key steps organisations ought to implement to improve their robustness and speed up their recovery should a disaster strike.
Earlier this week, on 30 October, Jamaica experienced some significant seismic activity: in other words, an earthquake. About 10:57 a.m. an earthquake of magnitude 5.6 occurred in Jamaica. The epicentre of that quake was in the northeast parish of Portland, with additional tremors felt throughout the rest of the day.
Earthquakes in the Caribbean region are nothing new, and in fact, should be considered the norm with the Eastern Caribbean already recognised as a hotbed of seismic activity as reflected in Exhibit 1. At the time of writing on 2 November, earthquakes of magnitude 3.5 and 3.7 were reported south of Grenada and near Antigua and Barbuda, respectively.
Exhibit 1: Snapshot of an interactive map of recent seismic activity in the Eastern Caribbean (Source: Seismic Research Centre)
Although Jamaica tends to experience several earthquakes throughout the year, the 30 October activity was among the strongest felt in recent years, and so resulted in considerable panic among the populace. It thus emphasised the need for greater disaster preparation – which often kicks into high gear when a hurricane or severe tropical storm is imminent. However, with earthquakes often occurring with little or no notice, there is a need to have well-established, and more importantly, well-practised systems and procedures so that in the throes of an earthquake or other disaster that can occur without notice, such as a fire, you, your organisation, and even your family, know what to do.
So, cognisant that you cannot avoid an earthquake or other natural disaster, it is crucial to focus on and invest in disaster planning and resilience. Below are [#] key steps every organisation should implement to speed up their recovery time should disaster strike.
- Identify critical assets and systems. The first step is to identify your most critical assets, such as servers, data centres, and proprietary software. Knowing what is essential will help you and your team prioritise recovery efforts.
- Develop a comprehensive business continuity plan. A business continuity plan should outline strategies for maintaining business operations during and after a disaster, and will be crucial in ensuring coordination across teams and resources. Among other things, this plan should address data backup and recovery, remote work capabilities, and communication protocols.
- Secure data. Data security is paramount. Data should be backed up regularly: the frequency should be a function of the volume of data, risk and losses to be incurred if data is lost in between backups. However, just as important as backing up the data is testing the recovery process regularly to ensure it works flawlessly when needed. It is also under this step that off-site and cloud-based backups for added security could be considered.
- Invest in redundancy. Consider implementing redundancy in your critical systems and infrastructure. For example, if your organisation’s systems or infrastructure become compromised or are no longer accessible, redundant servers, data centres, network connections, etc., can minimise downtime in the face of hardware failure, loss or outages.
- Secure organisation’s physical space. If your organisation relies on a physical location, ensuring that it is secure and equipped to handle (most) natural disasters cannot be overstated. We often underestimate the amount of ‘stuff’ we have – files, documents, equipment, etc., and so overlook the replacement cost and value. Be proactive, and consider earthquake-resistant buildings, fire suppression systems, and adequate security measures.
- Develop emergency communication system. A robust emergency communication system for your employees should be part of the business continuity plan, but it deserves to be highlighted. In today’s world, an omnichannel approach using email, text messages, and social media should be considered to ensure everyone is informed during a crisis.
- Test and train. Finally, your organisation’s disaster recovery and business continuity plans should be tested regularly through simulated drills. All too often, simulated drills are rare in Caribbean organisations, but when there is an incident, panic often ensues. Regular testing helps identify weaknesses and areas for improvement, whilst also equipping your staff with the skills and knowledge to know how to respond in case of an emergency.
In summary, disasters can strike at any time, and being unprepared can lead to severe consequences for your organisation. However, doing the work upfront to develop and maintain a robust disaster plan and operational resilience will become invaluable when they need to be invoked.
Having said this, it must be emphasised that preparedness is an ongoing process. Vigilance, regular review and practice are essential to ensure that the disaster and business continuity plans remain relevant to the ever-evolving needs and circumstances of your organisation.
Image credit: Jens Aber (Unsplash)
