Obviously, there's a lot more that goes into a comprehensive disaster plan, such as planning for an evacuation, or stocking up with food, water and other necessities in case you need to remain on your premises.

Ed Schipul's Internet marketing company held a daylong drill last month to practice dealing with a disaster that would render the company's Houston headquarters unusable.

Schipul acknowledged that he wasn't happy with the results. First, some staffers froze and weren't able to perform the tasks expected of them. One staffer forgot her cellphone and no one could reach her. There was an emergency plan detailed in binders, but no one had any of the binders off-site.

"The things that failed aren't the things you expect," Schipul said. "But that's why you do a simulation."

The good news for Schipul is that the employees of his namesake firm took what happened seriously, and many were upset by the fact they fell short during the exercise. He's planning another drill during the summer.