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Hurricane Irene Watch: Deloitte New York Offices Officially Closed, Evacuees Encouraged to Bunk Up with Co-workers If Necessary

If Deloitte employees took the last email concerning preparations for Hurricane Irene seriously, they likely took plenty of work home as it could be a extra-long weekend. However, if you’re a New York employee and thought, “Gosh, I’ve got so much to do, it may take me two trips to get all the work home,” and were saving that second trip for this morning, you may be in for an unpleasant surprise – the office is closed! Now, you might not have thought that the firm needed to announce such a thing but since the City has announced that everyone in Lower Manhattan has to GTFO and that the subway will quit running in T-minus one hour, the firm figured it better play ball.

Hurricane Irene Update

Weekend office closures and travel advisory

To all Northeast professionals:

Due to the impending hurricane that will impact the Northeast region, several Deloitte offices will be closed over the weekend. As of now, we expect to be open for business on Monday and will continue to update you from this mailbox, as needed.

1WFC, 2WFC, and 25 Broadway offices will be closed on Saturday, August 27 and Sunday, August 28 due to a mandatory evacuation order for lower Manhattan. New York City subways and buses will stop running at noon, as will PATH trains and commuter railroads connecting Manhattan to New Jersey, Long Island, Westchester, and Connecticut.

Some of you may be asked to evacuate your location or home due to safety concerns. If you are unable to find alternative housing, we will try to match you up with another Deloitte colleague. If you are able to host one of your evacuated colleagues or need emergency housing, please email Northeast Field Operations (subject: NE Evacuation Housing Request) or [redacted] as soon as possible.

Also, please take a moment now to ensure we have your most current personal and emergency contact information by visiting this site on DeloitteNet now.

Visit the following websites for a complete mass transit update:

· MTA
· NJ Transit
· CT Transit
· NJ Path
· SEPTA (Philly) – suspending Sunday only
· MBTA (Boston) – no announcement yet
· CT Transit – no announcement yet

Stay safe,

[redacted]
Northeast Regional Operations Leader

For those of you that were forced to evacuate, hopefully you’ve been able to do so quickly and safely. However, in the unfortunate event that you don’t have a place to go, it’s nice that Deloitte is encouraging its employees to help out their brethren. Our tipster also recognized another possibility:

No word yet on whether they are seeking to keep engagement teams together during the storm so that the client service work can continue.

So, stay productive Green Dotters. But more importantly, stay safe.

Hurricane Irene Watch: PwC Encourages Employees to Prepare to Work By Candlelight

Directly from 300 Madison:

Caleb,

This is a ridiculous email, see below, that we received [Thursday] regarding the hurricane. I work at 300 Madison Ave and thought this was hilarious. Note how we are supposed to buy candles in case the power goes out but we also need to bring our laptops home so we can work from home on Monday. Sorry P Dubb but if I need plywood to protect my apt from hurricane winds, the client should understand why my deliverable is a day or two late.

Also, during the winter we constantly get emails informing us that the office ONLY closes if the governor declares a state of emergency. According to this article, Cuomo already did that but good ol’ [Metro Region Managing Partner] Brendan Dougher hasn’t sent me an email telling me to stay home.

Here’s the communiqué:

Hurricane Irene

Unfortunately it appears that hurricane Irene will make for a challenging weekend for our area and we wanted to share the following information and guidance with you. As always, the firm’s first priority is the safety and well being of its people.

US Security is in regular contact with a private weather service and will track the storm over the weekend and remain in contact with our local team. When you leave the office today and tomorrow, take your laptop with you as you may need to work from home on Monday. Please secure all work-papers and confidential information in a locked drawer, filing cabinet or in the Records Center. Depending on the damage and disruptions from the storm, we may need to adjust our office hours on Monday. Please check your e-mail or voicemail early Monday morning to obtain the latest information on the status of the office.

Actions Required

Update your personal and emergency contact information with your profile on myKcurve; this information is critical for our Crisis Assessment Team who may need to locate you after a disruptive event

Program the Emergency Hotline number [redacted] into your cellular phone and also provide the number to your family and other emergency contacts that may need to inquire about your safety and well being

Respond to any e-mails or voice messages from the Crisis Assessment Team or office contacts attempting to locate you after an event

Check your voice messages. Office announcements and crisis guidance may be shared with you through this medium

Secure all client or confidential information in a locked drawer, filing cabinet, or the Records Center before departing from work

Take your laptop and essential peripherals home with you.

Guidance to Consider at Home

Have candles and/or battery operated lighting readily available; hurricanes typically result in power outages

Have a battery powered radio available to receive weather reports and evacuation advisories

Stock food supplies that do not require cooking

Stock 2-3 days of water; one gallon per person per day

Purchase a First Aid Kit for the appropriate number of members in your home; consider liquid soap that does not require water

Identify a secure location in the home away from windows where you can locate during the storm; consider storing blankets in this area

Have plywood or shutters ready to cover windows

Remove all objects in your yard that are not secured or could be damaged by the wind

Be prepared for flooding and heavy rains

One of the best preparedness items is to stay informed. Follow news reports and read office communications. Many websites also provide comprehensive coverage and are a great resource for all of us. Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact security@us.pwc.com or call the Emergency Hotline.

So while the rest of Manhattan is bailing itself out by bucket, be sure you’ve taken the necessary precautions to hit the ground running on Monday. And take it easy on the weekend. If the electricity is out, you’ll need plenty of battery to get through the day.