Building a business can be hard work. And for business owners across the Tampa Bay region, there’s been an added disruption — hurricanes.
Hurricanes Milton and Helene caused tens of millions of dollars in damage to Pinellas County businesses. And that number grows exponentially when you look around the rest of the region.
Pinellas beaches are open for business, but hotel rooms are still closed along the beaches as some hotels await repairs. Even businesses that weren’t physically damaged were still impacted.
ALSO READ: From supplies, pets, to applying for FEMA assistance: Answering common hurricane-related questions
On this episode of Florida Matters, you’ll hear from two people who are in the thick of helping businesses rebuild after last year’s storms while also preparing for this year’s storm season.
Charlie Justice is the CEO of the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce. And Jennifer Biles is a business consultant with the Small Business Development Center at the University of South Florida.
They talk about what hurricane recovery has looked like for impacted businesses and how business owners can prepare and find relief this year.
Click here to find out how you can find assistance for your business.
Listen to the full episode on the media player above. And you can click here to learn more about preparing for the 2025 Hurricane Season, which starts on June 1.
