The company had already begun discussions with about 40 executives including those managers about four days before Hurricane Sandy was due to hit the East Coast. "I don't think you can start too early to prepare, " DePrater says. "When you get all of these people together there are a lot of lessons learned and best practices to share. Even after the storm, we'll have a full de-briefing."

The company also provides three call-in lines to employees: a crisis "hotline" for business unit managers to use to engage experts in a range of disciplines including safety and environmental hazards to help with risk management; an employee message line that has a recording of company plans and instructions for the storm; and an emergency line for employees needing personal assistance for offsite crisis-related issues such as when a homeowner's roof has been blown off by a storm and the employee needs help.

DePrater credits such preparations with Turner's success so far in enduring many natural disasters. "We've had projects where there was a lot of water in the buildings or structural damage—typically [these were] in Florida," she says. "We've had others [affected] by earthquakes in California, and fires in the Southwest, but we've been fortunate that our employees have not suffered any great losses."