Hurricane season is generally from June to November, and until the last of the storms are gone, business owners tend to hold their breath. There’s a good reason for this. Data from the Office for Coastal Management found that between 2020 and 2024, there were over 115 weather and climate disasters in America. The shocking part is that this figure only includes incidents where damages were over $1 billion. 

As a business, the  impact that hurricanes have on your revenue generation is massive. If you don’t take the right steps, it’s easy to end up as just another ‘businesses affected by hurricanes in 2025’ statistic. The slower you are in taking either preventive or corrective steps, the greater the chance 

In this article, let’s find out how you can increase your odds of staying open even after a terrible hurricane.

#1. Budget for Repairs Early

One of the best strategies to make dealing with hurricanes easier is to simply factor in the inevitable repairs that you’ll need to save for. You might think insurance would cover things, but it’s far quicker to pay out of pocket and have insurance pay you back.

Even if your overall structure manages to stay strong without serious damage, it’s highly likely that small aspects will need help. For instance, Hurricane Gabrielle is already having people worried with reports showing that it’s set to affect several regions in South Carolina in the coming days. 

Just recently, Greenville saw the anniversary of Hurricane Helene. Some residents reflected on how the water rose 20 feet and brought winds so strong they couldn’t sleep. 

Now, with Gabrielle looming over the region, business owners might soon be looking for services like gutter repair in Greenville, SC, and other areas. 

As SureFlow Gutters, LLC notes, states like South Carolina get serious rainfall, which makes sturdy gutters particularly important. Ignore it, and soon enough, the water overflows, someone slips, and one of America’s many personal injury lawyers convinces them to sue you for negligence. 

Likewise, other repairs that you should expect include electrical issues in case water has affected your building’s wiring, loose roof shingles, and, potentially, broken windows. 

#2. Don’t Forget Power

One critical requirement that is easy to forget during the chaos of a hurricane is power. You may have stocked up on supplies to keep your operation running, but what use is that if the grid has gone down? This is a legitimate concern that has a high chance of happening as well. 

Studies have shown that in the past, Hurricane Ida in 2021 damaged over 30,000 utility poles. Likewise, the Texas Arctic Blast affected more than 40% of the state’s power generation capacity, which affected 4.5 million customers. 

It could be weeks until the grid gets back up, and that’s precious time for a business. It could be that every other aspect of your business is fixed and repaired, but the lack of power halts anything else.

Thus, don’t forget to invest in some sort of power backup system. An inverter with a lead-acid battery setup hooked up to solar panels would work great if you’re a small business. However, if your power needs are more serious, then definitely consider going the portable generator route. Just remember to stock up on fuel because the last thing you’d want to do is go out for more in a Category 3 hurricane. 

#3. Take Hurricanes More Seriously

In states where these weather events are common, you’ll often find people who have ‘gotten used’ to hurricanes. Sometimes, there’s a bit of complacency that creeps in, especially if they’ve managed to not lose too much through luck or prepping. 

However, it’s so important to never underestimate how devastating hurricanes can be. In some parts of America, communities have still not recovered from Katrina. More recently, Hurricanes Milton and Helene had a similar effect.

According to McKinsey and Company, these two events in 2024 affected over 1.9 million businesses in Florida and over 471,000 businesses in North Carolina. This resulted in a total revenue loss of up to $202 billion for both states. 

It’s possible that many of them expected to simply bunker down and wait things out like they did with other hurricanes. Sadly, nature is just too powerful and unpredictable. You really have to be ready for anything and then some.

All things considered, any serious weather event has the potential to affect a business. With hurricanes, you’re looking at something that could last a few days to several weeks. Does your business have the ability to survive that amount of downtime? Do you have a budget for repairs and a reliable power backup already? 

If your answer is no, then perhaps this should be your wake-up call. Hurricane Gabrielle is almost here, and this would be a great time to practice your hurricane prep protocol.