We do it every day. We prepare for the big meeting, deposition, mediation, and trial. Most of us were taught that in order to ensure success, you must be well prepared. While you probably prepared for anything that may come up for work, are you prepared for those things that you cannot anticipate?

Recently, the Galveston/Houston area was hit with a tropical storm and the Rio Grande Valley was hit with a hurricane. Fortunately for both areas, the damage was nothing compared to what hurricanes Rita and Katrina left behind. But, the question remains, were we prepared?

I practice in McAllen, which is located in the Rio Grande Valley. Because of the hurricane, we closed down our office for two days and even when we were up and running, it took another half a day for our phone system to work. I know that other offices in this area were without power for over a week. Prior to the hurricane making landfall, I was very fortunate to be working with opposing counsel who were willing to reschedule depositions, a mediation, and extend deadlines. Although these colleagues were kind enough to work with me, I cannot tell you how many emails were sent to me on the days that our office was closed. People tend to forget what is going on around them unless they are directly affected by it.

While tropical storms and hurricanes typically affect only the coastal areas, there are other weather related issues, such as tornados, that may affect other parts of the state. So, it is important to prepare. What if I have deadlines and have no electricity? What if my files are lost in a flood or a fire? Do I or my office have a backup plan?

The State Bar offers us some guidance in this area. You can go to the State Bar website and locate a guide which was prepared by the State Bar of Texas Disaster Response Task Force entitled “Disaster Planning for Lawyers-Preparing, Reacting & Resuming Life.” This will give you some ideas on how to best prepare. Hopefully, you will never need to follow through on a disaster relief plan, but it is best to be prepared. And, if the State finds itself in this situation again, whether or not it directly affects the area where you live and work, please be mindful of those who are affected. They may need your help to get through a difficult time.