Operating a business can leave little time to plan for something that may never happen. But 2011—which ended in a record year for natural disasters—serves as a powerful reminder that there is much at risk and businesses cannot afford to be unprepared.

Last year, catastrophes hitting the U.S. resulted in more than $32 billion in claims for the insurance industry, of which a large portion was paid to businesses. Disasters can do more than cause property damage—they can disrupt operations through a power outage or data breach. That spells big trouble for a company's reputation and bottom line.

Despite that, many businesses still don't take disaster planning very seriously.