Hurricane Season Preparedness: The Quest Difference
The time to prepare for Hurricanes season is right now. The Pacific Basin Hurricane season begins on May 15th, The Atlantic Basin hurricane season begins June 1st, and both last until the end of November. At Quest, we have helped thousands of locations across the US prepare for bad weather season for the last 20 years. We have the experience and knowledge to make sure that your retail locations are not only ready for the potential of disastrous weather but that you can get back to business quickly in the event you get hit by a hurricane.
Hurricane Season Preparedness: Lessons Learned
In the wake of record storms like Hurricane Harvey that hit Texas and parts of Louisiana last year, there were an estimated 8 million cubic yards of debris in just the Houston area alone. The cleanup effort took months, and in some places – are ongoing even now. There are lessons to be learned there. One of the biggest problems was that in the wake of the storm, there was no way to get the equipment into the areas that needing cleaning up. Essentially, debris had to be cleared before it could be cleaned up, and there was nowhere to put it. Several passes had to be made in some areas just to be able to get dumpsters to the homes and businesses that needed them. Cleaning up after a storm of the magnitude of Hurricane Harvey is a daunting task no matter what you do – but being prepared for hurricane and tornado season doesn’t have to be.
How Quest Prepares Your Business for Hurricane Season
At Quest, we take a very simple approach to disaster preparedness: planning and staging. Staging a dumpster or a collection of dumpsters at your business locations during storm season can mean the difference between a quick cleanup, and a logistical nightmare. At Quest, our account management teams are devoted storm trackers. We use every resource available including the National Hurricane Center and NOAA to know which storms will be affecting your area and when. Because we pay attention to the development and tracking of hurricanes, we can have the debris collection containers you need ready to go where the storms are predicted so that if you find yourself in the path of a storm – we can get the cleanup process started immediately. If you wait until after the storm has hit, you’re going to have to contend with some serious issues:
Problems of NOT Planning Ahead
1. Availability
Open-top containers are going to be in short supply after a storm as it is. Do you really want your locations’ cleanup to hinge on limited supply? Having containers staged ahead of time gives you the opportunity to be ready when/if a storm hits. Also, when you have containers staged, the first run of emptying those containers is done at a regular price. All runs after that will be done at a rate reflecting demand and availability – so you automatically save money by having containers staged. If Quest is already handling your trash services, we will ensure that all containers are emptied prior to a storm, therefore ensuring that you’ve got the maximum capacity available to get the cleanup process started.
2. Getting the Containers to your Locations Post-Storm
Assuming Containers are even available after a storm, getting them to your locations is a nightmare. There may be fuel shortages for transporters, debris blocking roads, downed powerlines, and a handful of other major setbacks that can prevent containers from being able to be delivered. Having them on-hand before the storm hits is the only solution.
3. Pricing
Even if you’re able to find a container that can be delivered to your locations, now you have to contend with the pricing. Post-storm pricing will reflect availability, so expect to pay 2-3 times more than you would have before the storm. Getting pre-storm pricing not only saves you money – it saves you the time and trouble of dealing with the logistical nightmare following a storm.
If you have locations that are potentially in the path of dangerous storms, contact Quest today and see how we can get you ready for anything that could come your way this storm season.
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