If your hotel is located in a flood prone area, there are measures you can take to minimize risks and to limit material damage and inconvenience to guests. These steps will also allow you to continue to run your core business, even if it is on a reduced scale, while the hotel is flooded and until the emergency is past.
Early warnings
Early warning service alerts normally predict and warn about floods and in some
countries, if you are located in a flood prone area you can subscribe to an alert
system. It is important to have access to early warnings of a possible flood because it
will give you time to take action to minimize the impact, including moving guests to
higher ground, if possible.
Water and electricity
The first lesson I learned when I joined the fire brigade was to ensure the power is off
before walking into a flooded area in the building. In a flood, the risk of electrocution
is high. The same also applies in heavy rain when water comes through the roof or
runs down electrical shafts or drips from ceiling lights. You should be extremely
careful if there is flooding or water leakage and you see the lights are still on.
No matter if the water comes from underneath or from above, in both cases your
safety and the safety of your staff and guests should always come first.
Hotel security
Flooding will impact your hotel security concept and you should ask if your
guards are supplied with the proper gear and are prepared for a flood. Have a Plan-
B in place when the CCTV system is off and alarm systems are shut down. Develop an
alternative evacuation plan and display the maps. The location where you usually
evacuate staff and guests may be flooded. Conduct regular practice evacuation
drills with staff.
Elevator
Shut down elevators because shafts can fill with water, which can put people’s safety
at risk. Park the cabin half way in the shaft to minimize damage.
Fresh water supply
Plant rooms are often found in potential flood areas. Turn off systems before it is too
late. The same applies for fresh water pumps that are connected to cisterns. Cisterns
are usually underground. There is a risk the flood waters can contaminate fresh water
reserves. We advise you to turn off the fresh water pumps before pipes are potentially
contaminated.
Hotel design
Hotels built in a flood prone area should consider positioning the server room, the
electrical switch rooms and generators on a higher floor. Reducing the risks and
preventing potential damage from hazards begins in the early stages of the planning
process. I have come across hotels in potential flood areas, where main switches, server rooms and water pumps are located in the basement or ground floors of the building.
Health
A flood can deposit mud and sludge in the hotel. This can stink because of bacteria,
untreated sewerage and certain toxic substances might be present. Depending
on the climate and the building materials, there can be rapid mold growth. Some
molds are toxic and dangerous to health. A professional cleaning company should
clean and dry the property to reduce the risks, including mold growth.
Include flooding in your continuity plan
Even when you are not in a flood prone area, you should still consider developing a
Business Continuity Plan (BCP) because a flood may affect your suppliers and your
employees. It has happened that managers in key positions and who were to
replace the next shift could not get to work because the road or train line to the hotel
was cut off due to flooding. The same goes for the other staff and the delivery of
supplies.
The material damage caused by a flood can be devastating. Some risks remain out
of sight and therefore don’t receive attention until a disaster such as a flood exposes
them. We advise you not to wait until it’s too late to take steps to minimize the impact
of a flood.
Founder and Managing Director of Sky Touch Consulting, Stefan Vito Hiller, has over 20 years experience in the hotel industry including five years experience in the security field. He has worked for leading hotel brands in Munich, Frankfurt, Bremen, Berlin, Cork, Edinburgh and Doha in the Middle East.When working for a leading global security company in Germany, Stefan developed their hotel and tourism security segment. In this position, he conducted overt and covert security audits, provided security training and developed innovative security solutions.Stefan now consults to hotels to implement innovative and affordable strategies to raise their level of security to meet growing global demands.
