Researchers warn that proper preparation is the only way for businesses to survive catastrophic storm

Be ready: Researchers predict a category five hurricane could destroy thousands of buildings and permanently cripple businesses.

By Business Observer Staff
| 12:00 p.m. May 27, 2021
| 0 Free Articles Remaining!

NOAA: Project Phoenix 2.0 warns that a category 5 hurricane could cause more than $28 billion in damage and destroy more than 103,000 buildings

Tampa Bay-Lakeland

With the 2021 hurricane season just about to kick off, the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council is warning business owners to take potential storms seriously. “We live in a beautiful area, but we also know we live in a vulnerable area,” Sean Sullivan, executive director of the Planning Council, tells Coffee Talk.

The council is sounding the alarm after findings from its Project Phoenix 2.0, created to study the effects of a catastrophic storm in the area. It found that 60% of smalls businesses and commercial buildings would be severely damaged or destroyed if Tampa Bay got hit by a category 5 hurricane.