Reese May, SBP's chief strategy and innovation officer, will explain how disaster relief organizations, federal agencies, and volunteers can build a “more resilient future” for Gulf Coast communities.
American Express and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation are partnering to provide funding to small businesses recovering from Hurricanes Helen and Milton.
The Small Business Hurricane Recovery Grant Program announced Thursday will provide grants worth a total of $5 million to small businesses hit hard by the devastating storm.
Workers, community members and business owners clean up debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Helen on September 30, 2024 in Marshall, North Carolina. (Javin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Jennifer Schuyler, corporate affairs officer for American Express, said in a statement that the company is “committed to providing our region's small businesses with the resources they need to recover, rebuild and thrive.” .
Through the newly announced program, 1,000 small businesses that meet certain eligibility criteria and are based in affected states including Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee will each receive $5,000, according to American Express. It is possible to receive it.
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AmEx and the Chamber Foundation say the funds “can be used for operating expenses related to disaster recovery, including rent, utilities, payroll, inventory, equipment, and infrastructure.”
Austin Stolpe removes mud from the floor of Celtic Ray Public House, a restaurant and bar that flooded when Hurricane Milton passed through the area on October 10, 2024 in Punta Gorda, Florida. (Joe Radle/Getty Images/Getty Images)
The application window for assistance closes on November 17th.
American Express will also provide additional funding to the nonprofit to increase hurricane grants, and will be giving eligible U.S. small businesses American The company announced it would donate $1 for every purchase made with an Express Card. year.
“Local businesses don't just weather the storm, they help entire communities weather it,” U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation President Michael Carney said in a statement. “American Express’s generosity will help turn these moments into rebirth, and it comes exactly when Main Street needs it most.”
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The $5 million grant program was established in response to the disruption caused by Hurricanes Helen and Milton to many people and small businesses in the Southeast.
On October 10, 2024, Hurricane Milton damaged a lighted sign in downtown Kissimmee, Florida. (Giorgio Vieira/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Hurricane Helen made landfall in Florida in late September, then tore through other states in the Southeast, causing massive flooding and damage. The storm killed about 229 people, according to fox weather.
These are the deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history
Milton made landfall just two weeks later as a Category 3 storm.
Both hurricanes are reported to have caused billions of dollars worth of damage along their paths.
In North Carolina alone, the state Office of Budget and Management said last week that Helen's impact would be $53.6 billion, “including $41.1 billion in direct damages, $7.6 billion in indirect or induced damages, and $4.8 billion in potential investments for hardening and mitigation.” I assumed it would be close.
