Then there was rain. For days, torrents of rain drowned the East coast. Thousands of people were without power as soggy tree roots, loosened by soft, muddy soil toppled onto power lines, homes and cars. What a mess.

If there was ever a time for solid contingency plans, it is now. An earthquake, tornado or hurricane generally come to mind with disaster planning, but sometimes it’s the unexpected flood, snow storm or prolonged winds that can bring down a business or municipality.

I’m reminded of a study done in 2009 by Agility Recovery Solutions that found small to medium sized companies woefully lacking in their contingency planning.

This doesn’t mean, however, that risk managers of large companies should start celebrating.

Yes, it was found that 90 percent of smaller companies with more than 100 employees spend less than a day per month maintaining their contingency plans; and yes, one in five spend no time on their plans.

But while 32 percent of larger companies spend one-to-10 days per month updating their contingency plans, a huge 44 percent spend less than one day per month.

Importantly, the survey found that the same old issues persist. One of the biggest is still getting buy-in from the C-level, regardless of a company’s size. Executives continue their hesitation in acknowledging the importance of contingency planning.

So this is a predicament for risk managers, still trying to get the attention of the C-suite. They know that should a disaster strike, the company or municipality might not be prepared.

This is a tough position to be in, especially since the risk manager most likely will be a target for blame if the organization is not adequately prepared.

What do risk managers need to do to get the attention this issue deserves?

Anyone?

As a result, risk managers I speak to say they meet regularly—or at least supply requested information—with their board of directors to field questions about insurance purchases and insurer solvency. That means a lot of preparation and financial knowledge.

In other words, the pressure is on.

Today, risk managers need multiple resources and they need a place where their voice can be heard. This blog is the right place for that and more. Feel free to send me your observations, frustrations and topics you’d like to see addressed—whether it’s forming a captive, reducing costs or remaining employed—whatever is on your mind.

After all, risk management is here to stay. Demands for and on risk professionals are greater than ever–and you know what they say about being able to take the heat…