Hurricane Idalia: Taking Care Of Business Can Speed Up Reopenings

FLORIDA — The Florida Division of Emergency Management is urging business owners and managers to prepare for Tropical Storm Idalia by reviewing their Business Continuity Plans to ensure the safety of employees and property.

Last September when Hurricane Ian struck the Fort Myers area and its barrier islands, 623 commercial and government properties sustained a total of $114,095,617 in damages. Five of businesses were destroyed and 34 suffered major damage.

Some of those business have yet to reopen.

In all, Ian knocked out power to more than four million customers in Florida.According to the global analytics firm, CoreLogic, Ian's rampage resulted in an estimated $41 billion and $70 billion in insured losses.

“The key reason Hurricane Ian was so economically destructive was due to the massive growth in coastal real estate in Florida,” said Tom Larsen, senior director of hazard and risk management for CoreLogic.

“Florida’s population has grown 50 percent since 1992 when Hurricane Andrew hit Miami, with disproportionately more growth in South Florida. This was the costliest Florida storm since Hurricane Andrew made landfall and a record number of homes and properties were lost due to Hurricane Ian’s intense and destructive characteristics," Larsen said.

Immediately following Hurricane Ian, Larsen made some predictions that were ominously on target.

"Hurricane Ian will forever change the real estate industry and city infrastructure. Insurers will go into bankruptcy, homeowners will be forced into delinquency and insurance will become less accessible in regions like Florida," he said.

Emergency management has set up a Florida disaster website for businesses and industries to help them prepare for disasters. It includes information on preparing Business Continuity Plans as well as actions to take during and after a disaster.

Business owners and managers should confirm that all employees are aware of their hurricane preparedness plan and their individual responsibilities. It is also important that businesses monitor relevant emergency management news for weather and safety updates.

Businesses are advised to document their property. Photographs and inventory lists should be compiled prior to the storm. If necessary, these can be used as insurance evidence for damage assessments after the storm.

When an evacuation is ordered, businesses owners should secure their businesses and follow instructions by local emergency management on evacuation orders.

If emergency management officials order an evacuation of a zone and the business owner decides to remain in the business, first responders will not be able to help during an emergency. Business owners and their employees will be on their own until the storm passes and first responders are able to secure the area.

For more information and questions on storm-related concerns or the needs of the business community, click here or call the private sector hotline at 850-815-4925 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Inquiries may also be emailed to ESF18@em.myflorida.com.

Business owners should also register their businesses at FloridaDisaster.org, the state of Florida's online clearinghouse that includes information that the private and public sectors can use before, during and after disasters.

Once registered, businesses can report their status, complete a business damage assessment and offer or request resources.

Resources For Businesses

• FloridaCommerce has alerted the statewide Community Action Agency Network and Local Workforce Development Boards to initiate disaster preparedness activities. LWDBs and CAAs have been advised to submit their anticipated cash needs to ensure critical services to Floridians are not disrupted.
• FloridaCommerce is hosting daily private sector coordination calls. Briefings will be provided by SERT meteorology, fuels, communications, transportation and energy, as well as private sector partners such as the Florida Retail Federation, Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, and Visit Florida.
• FloridaCommerce is in contact with local ESF 18 representatives in the anticipated impacted areas to support economic recovery.
• FloridaCommerce partners, including Walmart, Publix, Kroger, Avis, Waze and L3 Harris, have indicated that they are monitoring and preparing their employees for potential impacts. Wells Fargo is supporting to ensure banking services remain available to Floridians.
• Rosen Hotels and Resorts is activating its Florida Residents Distressed Rates to give Floridians a safe, affordable place to stay during Tropical Strom Idalia. Evacuees can call 866-33-ROSEN (76736) to reserve a room.
• Visit Florida has activated the Emergency Accommodations Module with Expedia to provide real-time availability of hotel rooms throughout the state.
• The Department of Business and Professional Regulation has provided the Boil Water Notice Guidelines to food and lodging establishments throughout the impacted areas of the state to help businesses prepare for post-storm recovery.
• The DBPR Division of Hotels and Restaurants is coordinating and preparing emergency response teams in the Big Bend, North Florida and Tampa Bay regions for a post-storm rapid response to assist lodging establishments and restaurants in reopening as necessary.
• DBPR encourages Florida’s licensed contractors who are looking to help property owners in need of post-storm construction-related services to register with the Florida Disaster Contractors Network at DCNOnline.org. DBPR is a founding partner in the Disaster Contractors Network, a contractor-verified clearinghouse to connect individuals with building professionals to address storm-related construction and repairs, and minimize fraudulent construction schemes seeking to take advantage of vulnerable Floridians after a storm.