New York City – a suddenly quiet city awaiting the onslaught of Hurricane Sandy’s fury today- Post # 7

New York, NY – Tuesday, October 30, 2012 – 1500 ET

Ralph Petti MBCI, CBCP

We are reaching the end of the first day of the recovery of the great City of New York.  While we have heard all of the stories now with 4.7 Million HOUSEHOLDS without electricity, some 12 million people
, we are forever hearing stories of heroism and close calls.  Of the falling trees and separated families.

 

We are also hearing of the incredible flooding that is paralyzing the roads and all of the railroad tracks for the NY metropolitan area.  Then there was THE FIRE – where 80+ homes burned as 175 firefighters tried to save them – in vain.  There is no middle of the road, either you were lucky or suffered.  Check out these pictures – a flooded channel 5 miles long and 5 feet deep on just ONE commuter rail station.  The other shows the aftermath of a fire that swept away an entire community, just last night….

 

Ours is a difficult business.  We try to tell our friends, families, doctors, lawyers, professionals and even our local bake shops to prepare.  Remember, 4 of 10 businesses go out of business when they have no plan and they are affected by disasters.  That is a huge number.  My own accountant has 1,000 clients and loses 15% per year to attrition – moves, insolvency, mergers and disasters.  Yes, disasters! What can we do to make people listen…then act….the recover….and then THANK US!  What CAN we do???

 

Ralph Petti, MBCI, CBCP is the President of Continuity Dynamics, Inc., an international firm focused on the areas of risk management, business continuity and disaster recovery planning. As a Member of The Business Continuity Institute, he is now sequestered in an apartment Manhattan’s Upper East Side with water and a myriad of supplies and is waiting for the storm to strike the NYC area tonight.  Mr. Petti has already been a guest subject matter expert on The Fox Business News Channel and is now sending frequent updates to The BCI. Reach him at Ralph.Petti@ContinuityDynamics.com or at 908.310.6381.