Well, Memorial Day came and went, and lo and behold, it’s June, which means Hurricane Season.
According to the folks who follow these things, 2022 is expected to have 14 to 21 named storms, including six to 10 hurricanes and three to six “major” hurricanes (those with sustained winds of at least 111 miles per hour). That’s slightly above normal, they say.
Around here, though, we’re preparing as we do every year — as if that’s not a forecast, but a sure thing.
Some of our hurricane preparedness began with our spring cleaning and maintenance activities from April and May — being ready means having our equipment in tip-top shape. This month, we’ll get everything storm ready, which also means making sure there are no loose things — palettes, for example — lying around. Loose things become flying things, and flying things, in hurricane winds, become dangerous.
We also make sure our people are ready. Our office and warehouse staff participate in drills every year, and we discuss who will be in charge of what activity. We also contact one of our most important clients — the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Because we are a storage provider of school lunches for the state, we automatically participate with the state and federal government to provide food for shelters during natural disasters. During our preparation time, the food gets inventoried and we make hard-copy lists that are shared among key personnel here and in the state Emergency Management Office. If the time comes, we all have a shared list to keep track of what supplies are most needed in which locations.
For Hurricane Irma, we were able to help send more than 200,000 meal equivalents within hours after the storm passed. We are proud of the part we play in helping people recover from hurricanes, and we take that role seriously.
For me, personally, there is another part in this whole process that I focus on: making sure our employees are safe and their homes are secure. I know that when a storm approaches, not only is the safety of the facility on their minds but the safety of their homes and families, as well. Each part of our preparedness plan takes this into account because if it weren’t for them, ACS couldn’t serve others.
This column is sponsored by Adams Cold Storage, LLC, and the opinions expressed herein may not reflect those of CFAN or of its advertisers.
BIO: Ben Adams, Jr. is an owner and president of Adams Cold Storage, LLC, in Auburndale. He has been directly involved in citrus production, warehousing, and distribution, as well as state and community support, since 1980. His facility incorporates some 250,000 square feet of multitemperature warehousing, and is AA rated by BRCGS.