Working at an apartment community during a hurricane can be an overwhelming experience.
During the “Weathering the Storm: Effective Hurricane Preparation and Restoration” session at 2026 Apartmentalize in New Orleans, experts who have guided properties through major storms discussed how operators can best lead residents and teams during the highly stressful events. At the heart of their advice: You can’t overcommunicate with residents and associates, and you need to take steps to boost their morale.
“Residents may not remember every detail of the storm, but they will remember how their management team responded,” said Tammy Esponge, Association Executive at the Apartment Association of Greater New Orleans and the Apartment Association of Louisiana.
Communication Is Critical
Before, during and after a hurricane, operators should use multiple communication methods simultaneously because residents consume information in different ways, the panelists noted. Effective communication tools include resident portals, mass texts, email blasts, property apps, social media pages, QR codes and emergency hotline numbers.
Today’s renters “expect immediate communication,” Esponge said. “You need to provide frequent updates, even if there’s no update. Post something. ‘Look, we have nothing to report right now, but as soon as we have updates, we’ll let you know.’ And make sure you provide clear timelines on things.”
Panelists urged operators to verify resident contact information quarterly, maintain updated emergency contact lists and identify vulnerable residents, such as the elderly, disabled and those who use medical equipment, before hurricane season.
Operators should also bear in mind that people process information differently during times of extreme stress. Multifamily housing owners and operators also shouldn’t hesitate to reach out to each other as they prepare for and recover from hurricanes.
Boosting Morale
In the aftermath of a hurricane, operators should recognize the stress their team members are under as they deal with both work and the damage to their own homes, the panelists noted.
Eddie LeBoeuf, Regional Maintenance Supervisor at The Domain Companies, said one of his previous employers eased associates’ stress after a hurricane by making it clear “there would be no questions asked if you couldn’t make it work. They didn’t say, ‘You have to come to work, or you’re going to lose your job.’”
The same company also provided extra compensation during that time, paying workers double their usual rate and upping that to triple their usual rate for any time they spent performing the nauseating task of clearing refrigerators of spoiled food.
“It told us the company understood it was nasty, disgusting work, and they should give something extra to us,” LeBoeuf said. “They didn’t have to. They could have said, ‘You’re going to get standard pay—time and a half after 40 hours—and if you don’t like it, go kick rocks.’ But they didn’t do that.”
LeBoeuf encouraged operators to consider ways they can show they understand what their employees are going through in the aftermath of storms. “It does really help them when you are there for them.”
Stephen Ursery is a Senior Account Manager at LinnellTaylor Marketing.