Census Bureau Surveys Impact of Weather on Business

As the Sunshine State begins the process of recovery from Hurricane Milton, business owners across Florida may be hearing from the U.S. Census Bureau. Not about the next population count but on the financial impact of the storm.

Since the fall of 2023, the agency has queried businesses on a variety of issues, including the financial impact of severe weather, in its Business Trends and Outlook Survey.

According to a Census Bureau release, the South, along with the Midwest, have been particularly impacted recently by severe weather.

“For example, 31.3% of businesses in Tennessee and 28% of businesses in Arkansas experienced monetary loss due to extreme weather for the period ending Feb. 11, 2024,” the release stated.

The most recent severe weather events tracked by the Business Trends and Outlook Survey was Hurricane Beryl in Houston and severe winter weather across the country in 2024.

“Every year, weather events from winter storms to hurricanes have an outsized impact on U.S. businesses but the size of that impact is difficult to measure,” according to the release. The Census Bureau plans to add a question to the BTOS in November that asks respondents to specify the extreme weather event (wildfires, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, snow or ice storms) that affected their business in the past six months.

One of the most important things businesses can do is stay informed about the possibilities of severe weather. For the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce, providing that information is a top priority.

“The St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce is responsible for Emergency Service Function 18 (ESF-18) for our county in the state of Florida,” said Scott Maynard, senior vice president of economic development at the Chamber.  “Our responsibilities include supporting business and the private sector during an emergency.  That includes coordinating emergency management activities with the government, industry, and economic development sectors and providing assistance with recovery after a disaster.  Communication is critical in this effort so business knows that we can serve as a central point of contact for timely information.”

Maynard said in addition to the emergency service function, the chamber offers disaster preparedness workshops for businesses every year, and provides printed and digital resources for disaster preparation and recovery.

Maynard said the Chamber also helps companies get the assistance they need after the storms to get back in business.

“Our goal is to minimize the impact and get businesses up and going as quickly as possible,” he said.  “After a disaster we business owners coordinate with FEMA, SBA and other organizations that provide assistance.  There is also a strong demand for restoration experts to mitigate any damages that have occurred.”

In Volusia County, the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce helps provide information to businesses and residents about severe weather, said Nancy Keefer, president and CEO.

“Chambers of Commerce are looked at as a reliable source of information,” she said.  “We often express the importance of having a disaster plan for each and every business.  In addition to links to assist businesses with developing their plan, our consistent communication leading up to weather events is critical.”

Keefer said the Chamber also is part of the county’s storm efforts. 

“The Daytona Regional Chamber’s President and CEO has a seat at the Emergency Operations Center, pre-, during- and post disasters,” she said.  “We share important information at all levels and times leading into hurricanes and severe weather.  Everyone is inundated with information, so we try to make sure we have a consistent message.”

Keefer said the Chamber is able to assist other business organizations with up-to-date information about severe weather before, during and after the storm.

“We share real-time information with the chambers and other associations that have a list of members so we can spread the word as efficiently and quickly as possible,” she said.  “While the work is different at every stage, we often feel the brunt of the work post disaster as we work with many partners to access damage and provide information on recovery if needed.”

Assessing the financial impact of a severe weather event is difficult, Keefer said. And the situation is not helped by false or misleading information being spread on social media.

“The economic impact can be felt with having to curtail business hours and shut down during the height of storms,” she said.  “As a community that is heavily tourist driven, the national messaging that sometimes doesn’t tell the local story can be damaging for months and even years after a natural disaster. The access to information 24/7 through mainstream media and social media often causes the spread of information that may not be accurate causing additional strain on businesses.”

Information is a key for Palm Coast Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce Interim CEO Howard Holley.

“We believe that in the preparation phase it’s best to encourage everyone to listen to a single voice: the Flagler County Emergency Management Operations Center,” Holley said. “As a result, we have reposted their communications on our Facebook page.”

Holley said the need for communication is also important after severe weather has passed.

“Post Milton we will communicate access to programs and services that are business related that will support our businesses and members to get back to being operational,” he said. “Many of these businesses provide services that will be helpful to residents who have been impacted, so we also want to get that message out.”

As far as any economic impact from severe weather like Hurricane Milton, Holley said safety and security for residents is the priority.

“Obviously, that is directly determined by the impact on our county and cities,” he said. “What we care about is that every resident is safe and secure first. Then we can address and assess the economic impact.”