Rebuilding after hurricanes: How storytelling can drive recovery

Natural disasters can pound cities and even entire states, displacing residents and devastating small businesses. PR pros can guide the narrative and help accelerate the comeback.

Ragan Insider Premium Content
Ragan Insider Content

The devastation from hurricanes Harvey and Irma have focused attention on renewal.

Current estimates say recovery costs from the two monster storms could approach $300 billion.

Small businesses face particular challenges, having lost customers, inventory, and office space. Grim though those estimates are, recovery and even renaissance is possible for small businesses, especially if they can tell their stories in a compelling way.

New Orleans’ small businesses rebounded after Katrina and triumphed. Within a year after the hurricane, 75 percent of small companies were back in business, largely because they had shared their stories effectively.

To read the full story, log in.
Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content.
Sign up today

Already a member? Log in here.
Learn more about Ragan Insider.