Hurricane Helene Survey: Impacts to Physical Infrastructure & Seeking Disaster Relief
- Western Womens Business Center
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
Introduction
Hurricane Helene’s impact on small businesses in Western North Carolina (WNC) was widespread and profound. As a result of the storm, thousands of firms experienced significant physical damage, were without utilities for extended periods of time, and were unable to serve customers.
In the months following the hurricane, Carolina Small Business Development Fund's research team conducted a survey of entrepreneurs that have received services from the organization’s Western Women’s Business Center (WWBC). This post, the second in a series based upon the results of that survey, focuses on Helene’s impact on the physical infrastructure of participants' businesses and their efforts to secure disaster relief.
We have included quotes from participants’ responses that illustrate those impacts. You can find the first post, which centers on the storm’s effects on participants’ business operations and finances, here. While the WWBC and its partners with the Western North Carolina Small Business Initiative grant program, have provided much-needed capital and technical assistance to WNC entrepreneurs, additional grant funding is needed to ensure that businesses in the region survive, recover, and thrive.
Hurricane Helene Survey Blog Post 2: Impacts to Physical Infrastructure & Seeking Disaster Relief
Physical Damages
More than one third of participants reported that their facilities were damaged, over 15% experienced damage to equipment, and approximately 20% experienced damage to inventory.
"I had over $80K in damages to my home and business and am still working on getting myself back on my feet."
However, at the time of the survey, almost 20% of participants (with help from their supporters) had made repairs to their facilities and approximately 10% had repaired or replaced equipment and/or inventory.
"We are better off than many affected but I have been repairing and cleaning our property by myself for 5 weeks while my wife and daughters have been trying to field all of the questions and concerns of potential guests both online and by phone.”
Infrastructure
The physical infrastructure that businesses rely on was substantially impacted by Hurricane Helene. Almost 80% of participants lost electricity, more than 85% lost internet access, and nearly 50% found that roads and/or bridges were unpassable. Close to 70% of participants were unable to access potable water and over one third reported that the presence of debris and garbage made the environment surrounding their business unsafe.
“We were stranded because our road and bridge were not passable, we had no power or way to reach the outside world for a week.”
Insurance
Most business owners that responded to the survey were either uncertain whether they would receive payments from their insurance companies (15%), had already submitted claims that had been denied or that they expected would be denied (18%), or were uninsured at the time of the storm (45%). Some participants were insured but their insurance did not cover storm-related damage.
Of the more than 80% of participants that were financially impacted by Hurricane Helene, only two indicated that they had already received significant insurance payments or expected that they would.
"Insurance has not been supportive and is trying to deny so many elements to my claim leaving me unsure how to pay for everything that needs to be taken care of."
Financial Support
While more than 55% of participants applied for financial support from government and/or private sources, over 70% had not received loans or grants at the time they completed the survey. Approximately the same percentage of respondents expressed that they needed financial support. In contrast, almost one quarter of respondents had received grants, loans, or another form of financial assistance.
"I am having challenges getting grants to repair our facilities and cover some financial loss."
Other Forms of Support
At the time of the survey, a minority of participants had received one or more forms of non-financial support from members of their community. The types of support that firm owners had received included business strategy and/or coaching (approximately 10%), donations of supplies and/or equipment (also roughly 10%), and marketing and/or customer outreach (almost 15%).
However, many participants also reported that they needed various forms of non-financial support, including assistance with marketing and/or customer outreach (53%), business strategy and/or coaching (38%), guidance navigating legal and/or insurance issues (17%), and additional supplies and/or equipment (16%).
“I have never claimed to be a businessperson. I am just a mechanic that bought a motel 17 years ago. If there are resources that include marketing and business training about how to deal with our situation it would be invaluable. I see a long hard road ahead that I do not know how to navigate.”
Other areas of need include employee recruitment and/or assistance programs (13%), rebuilding and/or renovation (12%), and support dealing with supply chain and/or inventory challenges (11%). Only 10% of respondents indicated that they did not need non-financial support.
"The biggest [need] will be long term financial support and coaching so that the lack of tourism doesn't do us all in."
Despite the damage that many survey participants experienced to their businesses, surrounding infrastructure, and finances, the vast majority had not received payments via insurance, grants, or loans at the time they completed the survey. These financial difficulties were compounded by a widespread need for support with various aspects of their businesses, including marketing, business strategy, and navigating legal issues. However, in the face of these challenges, many participants remained determined to participate in the region’s recovery.
“WNC really emphasized what a community is supposed to look like; it was beautiful to be a part of it even during devastation.”
The next post in this series will focus on Helene’s impact on survey participants’ families and communities. Questions about the survey? Email CSBDF Director of Economic Development Policy Adam Safer at asafer@carolinasmallbusiness.org.