Storm warning: NC businesses grapple with hurricane’s impact
Writer: Ryan Gandolfo
November 2024 — As the 2024 hurricane season winds down, the lingering impact of this year’s catastrophic storms remains palpable across North Carolina, where residents, business owners, and officials are grappling with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
Making landfall in late September, Helene struck with a Category 4 force and reached North Carolina on Sept. 27, bringing winds up to 140 mph and leaving a path of destruction that state officials are calling one of the most severe in recent history. By Nov. 8, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services had confirmed 102 storm-related fatalities.
“Hurricane Helene brought damage and devastation to North Carolina on an unprecedented scale. This is the deadliest storm in our state’s history,” said Gov. Roy Cooper in an Oct. 23 preliminary damage and needs assessment.
For the business community, recovery will be a long and arduous task. “Many of our customers have faced significant hardships, including damage to their businesses, loss of belongings, and disruptions to their daily lives,” Kathleen Evans, regional director of external affairs at AT&T, told Invest:. “We are working with our small business customers to support them during this time and provide connectivity solutions that fit their needs. We have also collaborated with local entities like the North Carolina Retail Merchant Association to further support businesses impacted.”
As residents and businesses faced prolonged power and internet outages, misinformation on social media complicated recovery efforts, with false claims about FEMA and FAA response efforts circulating widely. FirstNet, a public-private initiative between AT&T and the federal government, helped play a pivotal role in maintaining essential communication lines, particularly for first responders.
“Our Network Disaster Recovery (NDR) team set up a self-sustaining basecamp, and we deployed crews of support team members near the hardest-hit areas affected by the storms,” Evans said in regard to FirstNet and AT&T workforce involvement.
According to an initial assessment conducted by the Office of State Budget & Management, the overall impact of damage from Helene is likely to exceed $53 billion.
Several initiatives have been rolled out in response to the damage caused by Hurricane Helene, including a phased business recovery grant program, for which an estimated 23,000 employers and over 24,000 non-employer businesses are eligible. Additionally, a local infrastructure grant, called Resilient Main Street Communities Fund, will provide funding in federally declared disaster counties to support rebuilding efforts. Projects eligible for funding will need to ensure rebuilt infrastructure is more resilient to future natural disasters and flood-related events.
Climate-driven extreme weather events like Hurricane Helene have become a costly global trend, driving $2 trillion in economic losses over the past decade, according to a recent report from the International Chamber of Commerce. For North Carolina, the toll of this latest storm serves as a stark reminder of the growing urgency of building resilience against future threats.
Top image via Bill McMannis/Wikimedia
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