As a chamber of commerce professional in a community hit by a devastating natural disaster, the chamber’s role in rebuilding is critical. But chamber pros are of the community as much as they represent the community. While trying to be a cheerleader for your businesses, you may also be dealing with your own heartbreak. That’s why we put together this compilation of how you can come back stronger. It’s difficult when you’re in the midst to put it all together.
Coming back from a natural disaster requires a multi-step approach. Before we go into those, let’s cover the stages of grief because in an extensive natural disaster, even with no loss of life, there is a lot of grief.
The stages of grief, conceptualized by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, can be applied to the experience of a natural disaster. While grief is a highly individual process, understanding these stages can help you understand the emotional journey people go through after a catastrophic event.
Let’s explore how the stages of grief might manifest in the aftermath of a natural disaster:
Stages of Grief
Denial
In the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster, survivors and businesses may experience disbelief or shock.
This stage is characterized by:
- Difficulty accepting the reality of the disaster’s impact
- Feeling numb or disconnected from the situation
- Struggling to comprehend the extent of the damage or loss
Anger
As the reality of the situation sets in, individuals may become angry. After all, they’ve wrapped their whole world in their business. They may be angry at:
- Nature or a higher power for causing the disaster
- Government or authorities for perceived inadequate preparation or response
- Oneself for not being better prepared
Bargaining
Bargaining brings on negotiating or finding ways to reverse the situation. In the context of a natural disaster, this could involve:
- Wishful thinking about what could have been done differently
- Seeking to understand why the disaster happened
- Attempting to find meaning or purpose in the event
Depression
As the full impact of the disaster becomes apparent, individuals may experience profound sadness and grief. People in this stage may:
- Feel hopelessness and despair
- Withdrawal from social interactions
- Have difficulty engaging in recovery efforts
Acceptance
Eventually, survivors begin to come to terms with the new reality and start to move forward. This stage is characterized by:
- Acknowledging the permanence of changes caused by the disaster
- Beginning to rebuild and adapt to new circumstances
- Finding ways to honor losses while focusing on the future
While grief from losing a business (or business location) shares a lot of the same stages as losing a loved one, natural disaster grief can be complex and may involve additional phases:
- Pre-disaster Phase. In cases where there’s a warning, like in the case of a hurricane, people may experience anticipatory grief and anxiety. This may cause them to shut down and prepare ineffectively. There can also be “some hurry up and wait” urgency.
- Impact Phase. During the actual disaster, reactions can range from shock to panic, with a focus on self-preservation and family protection.
- Heroic Phase. Immediately after the disaster, there’s often a surge of altruism and community bonding.
- Honeymoon Phase. This is a period of optimism that may follow as disaster assistance becomes available, to be quickly followed by the:
- Disillusionment Phase. As the limits of assistance become apparent, people may experience frustration and stress. They may realize for the first time that the safety net they thought they had no longer exists.
- Reconstruction Phase. This long-term phase involves adjusting to a “new normal” while continuing to process losses.
Understanding these stages can help you help your businesses and community navigate the emotional aftermath of a natural disaster. However, grief is not a linear process, and people may move back and forth between stages or experience multiple stages simultaneously. The person they were before the natural disaster will also impact how they experience the tragedy.
Providing support, resources, and understanding throughout this journey is essential for healing and recovery, so let’s look at that. Read 10 Roles for your Chamber During a Natural Disaster.
Here’s a strategic approach to help the community recover, grow, and emerge stronger:
Immediate Steps
Once the initial danger is over, you will want to:
1. Assess Immediate Needs and Communicate Them
Set up an emergency communication plan to reach businesses, staff, and the community through social media, email, and your website. Ask people to check in and post if they will be open or when they estimate they will be restored. Disasters can be hit or miss. Some businesses may be spared, some ruined.
Survey businesses to assess the immediate damage and identify urgent needs (e.g., funding, workforce, or supply chain disruptions). Act as a central information resource hub, for FEMA, SBA Disaster Loans, and local government relief programs.
2. Coordinate Relief Efforts
Partner with local and state governments, nonprofits, and other business organizations to coordinate relief. People will contact you. They’ll want to help.
Post Helene in Tarpon Springs, Florida, a non-impacted chamber member business became a command center for disseminating non-perishable items and coordinating volunteers. The chamber doesn’t have to do that, but it can help if you know where to direct people who want to assist. Work with businesses so you can provide insights to local leaders about what they need.
This should not be a time of competition. If someone else steps up to help with organization, great. If not, establish a local relief fund (e.g., via crowdfunding or donations) to assist businesses with immediate recovery needs. Organize volunteer efforts where chamber members can help affected businesses clean up, rebuild, and recover.
3. Provide Temporary Operational Support
If your entire area has not been impacted, set up a temporary coworking space or support hub for businesses that have lost their premises. Doing so could ensure business continuity for them. When there was a major forest fire in Tennessee several years ago, the Pigeon Forge Chamber created a page on its website for updates.
If the event causes long-term business disruption (as in the case of unusable business locations due to fire, flood, or destruction) provide assistance (or arrange it) to transition businesses online (e.g., e-commerce platforms, virtual work setups).
Offer free webinars or one-on-one consultations on navigating insurance claims, business interruption, and accessing disaster relief funds. Publish these resources on your website and share them on social media. In Tampa Bay, there were insurance “villages” set up in school gymnasiums that helped people meet face-to-face with representatives from their insurance companies to help them process claims.
4. Be an in the Trenches Reporter
One thing that can be extremely helpful to those who have evacuated, own vacation homes, visit frequently, or have relatives in the area who they’re concerned about, is real-time communications. This could be operating a live cam, sharing pictures and videos, or creating a check-in on your website for businesses to verify the extent of the damage they’ve sustained. Share what you see from your businesses on social media to gain greater reach.
Short-Term Recovery
5. Coordinate Access to Funding
Host workshops/webinars/podcasts/videos on securing disaster loans, grants, and rebuilding funds. Bring in experts to walk businesses through the application processes. Record them so your community can watch them on their schedule.
Create partnerships with local banks to offer businesses favorable loan terms or bridge financing options. Work with the city and state government to advocate for emergency funds and grants for local businesses.
Listen to the challenges your businesses (and people) are facing. Even with your governor declaring a state of disaster ahead of the storm or fire, it takes FEMA a few days after the disaster hits to realize the impact and begin to process paperwork. It’s evaluated on a county-by-county basis. It’s a big day for impacted people when they can file.
6. Rebuild Workforce and Talent
Connect displaced workers with businesses in need of temporary or permanent help. Coordinate with workforce development programs to retrain or upskill employees who have lost their jobs due to the disaster.
Long-Term Strategy
7. Promote a “Rebuild and Reinvest” Campaign
Launch a campaign promoting the idea of rebuilding stronger, encouraging residents and businesses to reinvest in the community. Showcase people who are rebuilding and highlight their efforts as social proof and to promote confidence in recovery efforts.
Work with government leaders to create incentives for businesses to stay local, such as tax relief programs or reduced fees for city services during the rebuilding phase.
8. Launch a “We’re Open for Business” Campaign
Once your area and businesses are open again and ready for visitors, promote that you are a great place to visit. The media will provide lots of coverage of the devastation. You’ll need to lead the communication of the recovery efforts. People will wonder how your area is doing and may not plan a trip or outing to visit until they know you’re back in business. Check out Livingston Parish’s Resource page and campaign, which they launched after devastating floods in 2016.
See if there are funding and grants to promote your area. Read How Your Chamber Can Bring a Community Together After a Tragedy.
9. Develop New Economic Opportunities
Partner with local universities or training centers to offer courses on rebuilding industries or emerging needs. Promote economic diversification to make the community more resilient in the future. For example, encourage growth in tech, green energy, or remote work industries that are less vulnerable to natural disasters.
Work with developers and the city to attract new investment, highlighting redevelopment opportunities for stronger infrastructure and more innovative city planning. If your area rebuilt anything due to the natural disaster, it’s likely been fortified and brought up to today’s building standards and infrastructure. Communicate this to businesses looking for a home. Promote the area as revitalized, not repaired. There’s a big difference between the two, and the former can help you attract new investment.
Explore public-private partnerships to help fund projects like improved flood defenses, wildfire prevention, or other disaster-mitigation infrastructure. Communicate these projects as a business recruitment strategy.
10. Return to Chamber-Led Events & Initiatives
Organize a “Rebuild Stronger” event, bringing together business owners, civic leaders, and disaster recovery experts to share best practices and resources. Continue to offer recovery-specific resources, such as grant writing workshops or training on creating disaster-resistant business plans.
The Greater Beloit Chamber ran a Back to Business Ribbon Tying Campaign after the shutdown from COVID.
Resources to Provide to the Community
- FEMA Disaster Assistance Resources. Provide direct links and instructions on applying for FEMA aid.
- SBA Disaster Loan Assistance. Offer guidance on how businesses can access low-interest loans for physical and economic injury.
- Local Government Resources. Ensure businesses are aware of state and local relief funds or grants.
- Insurance Claims Assistance. Provide contacts for insurance professionals who can assist with complex claims.
- Legal and Financial Counseling. Partner with local firms to offer free consultations to businesses navigating complex rebuilding issues. There will likely be a need in your community for mental health assistance as well.
A disaster in your area may take years to overcome and it will change your town and community. You will be stronger after overcoming it. But recovery is not a straight line. There will be setbacks. By helping businesses find their footing with immediate relief while promoting long-term, strategic growth, the chamber can play a pivotal role in ensuring the community comes back stronger and more resilient.
Want more? Read the conversations pinned to the top of the Chamber Pros Facebook group about the recent Hurricane disaster impacting six states. Also, check out ACCE’s disaster recovery resources page.
