With the 2021 hurricane season officially under way, Visit St. Pete/Clearwater (VSPC) wanted to remind you of the many different resources available to help prepare for the season.
In early April, VSPC, Pinellas County Emergency Management and Economic Development held a Business Hurricane Summit covering many of these resources. You can watch the webinar here.
In addition to the webinar, here are other resources worth your time:
• Are you signed up for Alert Pinellas? This notification system is free and is the go-to method for receiving emergency updates, like evacuation orders, from Pinellas County.
• Do you have your personal disaster plan? What about one for your business? Participate in Pinellas County’s Pledge to Plan 2021, which involves updating or creating a disaster plan. You may not realize how important a plan is until it’s too late, so Pledge to Plan.
• Are you a lodging partner who wants to participate in the Emergency Lodging Assistance (ELA) Program? The program is funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and provides prompt lodging payments for short-term stays. Sign up here!
• Have you seen Project Phoenix 2.0: The Recovery? Take some time to watch the second installment of Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council’s video series, which chronicles the devastation of Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach and the recovery that follows.
• Pinellas County’s 2021 Hurricane Guide is available online or printed versions can be found at Pinellas County Libraries and Municipal buildings throughout the county.
• Register for an upcoming economic recovery webinar for small and large businesses from 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on June 15. After clicking the link, scroll down and click on “PER 385 FL Improving Business Financial Literacy and Management to Support Post-Disaster Economic Recovery.” The webinar will cover how businesses can plan for pre- and post-disaster financial recovery, including understanding disaster assistance programs.
• Other tips for businesses of all sizes for emergencies, like setting up a to-go box with critical documents, can be found here.
• VSPC’s Crisis Communication Plan is available here.
