And so to the clean-up

With waters gradually receding the true extent of the damage becomes apparent.

Our thoughts are with those so badly affected. A friend of mine is head of a national disaster cleaning and restoration business. Some of the tragic accounts I have heard have been horrendous. Polluted flood water brings extensive damage in its wake. Walls may need replacing, floors and cabling are too damaged to be used safely in the future. The cost and disruption to homes and businesses cannot be dismissed easily. Adequate insurance helps to meet costs and expert restoration accelerates a return to normal. Uppermost importance to a business is to quickly get back into some acceptable form of operation before customers begin looking elsewhere. Urgent action is needed to remain competitive.

If meteorologists are to be believed, extreme weather patterns will continue and become a regular expectation. One observation from a disaster response meeting I attended highlighted a seven year cycle of catastrophic weather related incidents. To compound issues, we are currently in the middle of a cyclic peak of solar activity, which can affect our weather and infrastructure. Solar flares have a great effect upon our technological environment. Planning ahead to minimise damage is a good measure and costs little. A plan to accommodate rapid recovery and activate urgent repairs is simply good sense. Business continuity management concerns all functions within and organisation, including its IT services. A lesser complex planning can also be applied to the home environment.