BATON ROUGE, La. (September 1, 2021) – The Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) today released a preliminary analysis of responses to its Hurricane Ida business impact survey. The survey is available at brac.org/prepare and will close at noon on Thursday, September 2.
“The initial reaction from the business community is that the storm caused disruptions, but they appear short-term and related primarily to utilities,” said Andrew Fitzgerald, senior vice president of business intelligence. “More than a third of area businesses were not impacted by Hurricane Ida at all, and four out of five respondents plan to operate at full capacity within five days. While in the long-term most Capital Region businesses appear to have avoided tragedy, it’s important that we help the businesses and residents that did not. With more than 250,000 metro area homes and businesses still without power, it’s crucial that the recovery efforts continue apace.”
Key takeaways from the initial responses include:
- 64% of survey respondents indicated that Hurricane Ida will impact their business operations;
- Of those who indicated Hurricane Ida will impact their business operations, 15% expected their business to resume operations within 1-2 days; 72% expected their business to resume operations within 5 days;
- A significant portion (72%) of respondents that faced disruptions indicated that a lack of power or internet is the primary reason behind their business closure;
- 77% of the Capital Region’s smallest businesses (those with less than 10 employees) will face at least temporary business closures. More than half (52%) of these businesses may not resume normal operations for up to five days;
- Less than 9% of survey respondents indicated that the storm would have long-term consequences, forcing closure of more than 12 days.
At the time of the analysis, 73 regional businesses had completed the survey. BRAC will release additional analysis through the response collection window and after its closure on Thursday. Businesses in the nine-parish Capital Region are asked to participate.
BRAC is compiling Hurricane Ida recovery resources, research and information for businesses at brac.org/prepare.
About the Baton Rouge Area Chamber
The Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) leads economic development in the nine-parish Baton Rouge Area, working to grow jobs and wealth and to improve the business climate and competitiveness in the region. Today, BRAC investors include more than 1,500 small businesses, midsize firms, large industry and entrepreneurial startups, as well as individuals and organizations that support business and economic development. In this capacity, BRAC serves as the voice of the business community, providing knowledge, access, services and advocacy. More information is available at brac.org.
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