How Natural Disasters Could Interrupt Businesses

Running a business can be very challenging. From managing a range of suppliers to keeping a team happy, there are endless logistical elements that need to be considered. As well as all the factors that can be planned for and even anticipated, natural disasters can cause real issues for many businesses. 

Dependent on location, certain companies may plan for natural disasters. For example, those that operate in a high flood area will be aware of this and so will navigate through it as is appropriate. Other disasters cannot be planned for, though, meaning businesses are forced to go into emergency mode.

Biological disasters

Biological disasters are naturally caused incidents that happen due to a virus or toxin. These can take the form of an epidemic or a pandemic. 

Sadly, most businesses are well aware of the impacts of this due to the recent Covid-19 pandemic, the results of which are still prevalent for many organisations today. The pandemic caused economic and social issues worldwide. With multiple lockdowns and mass redundancies being made, businesses saw sales plummet and the mental health of workforces detrimentally impacted. 

The effects of the pandemic have proven too challenging for some businesses to recover from, meaning they have shut down altogether. For organisations that were able to survive, they are still noticing the impacts and working towards recovery which could take years. 

Hydrological disasters 

Hydrological disasters, such as floods, storm surges, and tsunamis, pose a real threat to many businesses.

First and foremost, these sorts of disasters can cause significant damage to buildings and infrastructure. Disasters such as flooding can disrupt key infrastructure systems such as energy supply. It can also cause harm to crucial company equipment. Both factors can make it impossible for businesses to continue operating, at least for a short period. Having manufacturing insurance could help companies protect themselves, though. 

To safeguard infrastructure and workers, it is key that any organisation has an action plan should this type of disaster take place. This needs to be communicated to all staff to allow for it to run as smoothly as possible should it be required. 

Climatological disasters

Climatological disasters, as suggested by the name, are disasters caused by intense climate-related events. This could include droughts, heat waves, and wildfires. 

Similar to hydrological disasters, these can cause significant threats to company infrastructure, employee welfare, and customer retention. 

There is also the issue of the supply chain. When a climatological disaster happens, transportation can become impossible, causing businesses to face stock shortages which can result in negative repercussions for weeks, months or even years post-disaster.