Investing During Times of Natural Disasters

Investing during times of natural disaster can add a boost to your portfolio

It was once believed through a Red Cross survey, that when a disaster strikes an area, business owners were unprepared to respond quickly to help its residents. This earlier survey reported that around 71% of small businesses generally didn’t generate a disaster plan and 63% of local businesses believed that they would be able to resume business within 72 hours of a natural disaster. Today, large and small businesses reactionary times are supporting risk management solutions during disasters. The Red Cross works quickly and efficiently with large corporations like Home Depot and Walmart to provide volunteers, water, tools, and financial aid to help survivors of natural disasters. Today we’ll discuss how investing during times of natural disasters is a symbiotic way to help others during times of trouble and help your portfolio.

Many companies are developing investing interests in helping communities during horrific disasters like floods, hurricanes, fires, tsunamis, earthquakes, and air smogs, etc. Necessity is the mother of inventions, which means that companies are developing technology to help families and communities to receive benefits that contribute to their present situations on recovery and long term survival. The services and products that companies help to provide are an integral factor in disaster relief. Benefits and opportunities that companies offer communities for disaster relief, provides a great opportunity to help them maximize efficiencies, receive a positive brand name, potential contracts from local or federal governments to help during disasters in the future; and to save lives and to help restore families.

Looking at acts of God during the last few years and what communities need to recover quickly and what disaster responders need, gives a positive light into companies being prepared to help their citizens. The natural disasters that have tested companies and volunteers, have occurred around the world:

• 2014: Within the United States and in other countries, natural catastrophes featured a volcano erupting in Hawaii, a typhoon in the Philippines, wildfires in California and seven feet of snow in Buffalo.

• 2015: California and Australian wildfires, Chile earthquake, Japan, South Carolina, and India floods, heatwave in India, smog in China, United Kingdom winds and storms, drought in California, etc.

• 2016: recent natural disasters in 2016 have included worldwide earthquakes, floods, and a cyclone.

If you are a company that is near a natural disaster zoned area, the primary needs are usually water, hygiene, food, power, and shelter. The following are investing products that are exceptionally helpful during times of natural disasters:

Sanitation

Companies can do well if they can provide products that provides disaster relief toilets. Products with this technology in any country can reduce health robbing bacteria, reduce bad air odors, and keep hygiene at the top of the list. Sanitation companies can offer indoor and outdoor disposable toilets that provide composting and biodegradable bags, all of which can be used in devastated areas. This type of product is keeping waste contained, while it is also keeping disease and sickness to a minimum.

Inflatable Housing

Inflatable tents in all sizes, can provide immediate emergency housing solutions and can adapt to any disaster area. In the aftermath of an earthquake, people are lacking proper shelter for the short term and also during the long term. Not only are these style tents portable, but they can also include the shelter’s material that is waterproof, fireproof, and windproof. For example, a new technology for shelter is the Concrete Canvas which is a building in a bag that requires only water and air for construction and is easily deployed. In areas where a flood displaced people and families, a stilted shelter can be provided by a company whose brand is portable housing. The walls should be insulated and perhaps a small hook-up for solar lighting, along with storage containers.

People Finder

If you are a company that can provide camera and sound equipment, your investment is the perfect people finder, when an earthquake or a mudslide has hit an area. Sound equipment is designed to locate victims that are trapped in debris by detecting their heartbeat. Thermal image camera equipment can be used to find people trapped in collapsed buildings and other collapsed environments.

Protective Gear

To help rescuers, companies invested in protective gear would be a lifesaver in keeping volunteers and first responders protected. If a company can provide special suits, gloves, masks, oxygen, and carbon monitoring systems for air quality. These products can be deployed easily, even if roads have been decimated or major transportation has been interrupted.

Air Power

As controversial as these products are, drones are very beneficial in natural disaster situations. Small drones working in conjunction with local agencies are beneficial in natural disaster relief work without endangering the lives of rescue workers. Drones can be employed to find stranded individuals and help to give an assessment of the area where the disaster occurred. Drones can be assembled easily even from recycled parts. These flying products can be sent to all types of natural disasters when roadways are inaccessible, after being equipped with sensors and cameras.

Food and Water

Are you a company that can provide non-perishable food and water bottles during a natural disaster of any type? If so, your investing prowess has increased a hundred-fold by helping victims. Food and water distribution after a natural disaster is best handled through existing legitimate agencies who are always willing to work with additional companies to help a whole community, especially on an on-going basis. Existing agencies are the Red Cross, the Coca-Cola company, the Nestle Company or other relief organizations working in the area where the disaster occurred.

When natural disasters occur, there is always vast human suffering needs that must be addressed through an uninterrupted supply chain of products and services. Quite evidently, natural disasters present opportunities for companies to create goodwill within their communities or with the public in general. Natural disasters place companies on a nationwide scale that leaves a lasting impression. It also provides an opportunity for companies providing products to continue to do the right thing and to receive positive credit for it. When crises happen, local companies and their employees typically have more credibility than some major federal agencies, only because local companies are seen as more credible and honest. The brand named leaders of companies who submit products during disasters will be remembered for a long time which is why their carpe diem moment is to grab this time as an investment opportunity.