Florida Business Damage Assessment Now Available for Businesses Damaged by Hurricane Milton

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Information Courtesy of Pinellas County Economic Development

Was your business damaged by Hurricane Milton?

Damages may include the loss of real property, equipment, inventory, or working capital, or the inability to pay normal expenses, such as rent, utilities, or fixed debt payments.

FloridaCommerce and the State Emergency Response Team (SERT) have activated the Business Damage Assessment Survey in response to Hurricane Milton. The program will gather information from businesses affected by the hurricane and share the results with various local, state and federal agencies to implement appropriate disaster relief programs.
Take the survey today – FloridaDisaster.biz

Even if you previously filled out a survey for damages that were incurred under Hurricane Helene, you will need to take a new separate survey for new damages incurred under Hurricane Milton.

Contact
For additional assistance, contact (850) 815-4925 or ESF18@EM.MyFlorida.com.

Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Now Available for Businesses Impacted by Hurricane Milton

Florida Commerce has activated the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan, making $50 million available to Florida businesses impacted by Hurricane Milton.

  • Up to $50K for small businesses with up to 100 employees, including sole proprietors.
  • Up to $100K for Agriculture and Aquaculture businesses.
  • Up to $150K for cattle and citrus operations.

Apply at http://FloridaJobs.org/EBL

Contractor Information

For Business Owners

All demolition and construction contractors in the state of Florida must be licensed, either by the state (known as state-certified contractors) or by the Pinellas County Construction Licensing Board (locally-certified contractors). State-certified contractors can be verified online: www.myfloridalicense.com County-certified contractors can be verified online: www.pcclb.com All demolition and construction work on a commercial property must be performed by a licensed contractor unless exempted by Chapter 489.103, Florida Statutes. Out of State ContractorsThe state of Florida has reciprocity with a very limited number of out-of-state jurisdictions. 

Contractors who are NOT licensed in the state of Florida CANNOT WORK in Pinellas County.
The PCCLB may grant temporary licenses to specialty contractors from other jurisdictions in Florida based on emergency orders by the state.  

Unlicensed ContractorsThe Pinellas County Construction Licensing Board, Pinellas County Consumer Protection and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s office enforce against unlicensed contracting. Fines for unlicensed contracting start at $500 and may escalate up to and including arrest.

City of St. Petersburg’s Community Haulers Program

The City of St. Petersburg has set up a temporary debris haul away operation to assist in clearing the debris that accumulated after Hurricane Helene and are issuing payment in the amount of $200 per load of debris dropped off at the City’s Debris Management Site. Individuals residing within the City of St. Petersburg with the capacity to haul awsay debris are encouraged to sign up for this program by emailing business@stpete.org.

Recovery Updates

Recovery

There are severe damages throughout Pinellas County in the wake of Hurricane Milton. After assessing life-safety hazards, Pinellas County borders and barrier islands are reopened. Residents are advised to stay home if at all possible and to use extreme caution if they must absolutely head out on the road.Crews are out assessing damages and clearing roads for emergency responders to conduct search and rescue missions. Hazards include downed power lines, many fallen trees, debris and traffic signal outages.The City of St. Petersburg has issued a boil water notice for residents of St. Petersburg, Gulfport, South Pasadena, and Lealman.Much of the County is without power. Some areas are without potable water.

Report Damages

County Information Center

The County Information Center is open 24/7 for storm questions. Call (727) 464-4333. Residents who are deaf or hard of hearing can contact the County Information Center via online chat at bit.ly/PinellasChat.

Pinellas County Closures

  • Pinellas County Government offices and all County parks and preserves will remain closed through the rest of the week due to Hurricane Milton. The closures include all departments under the County Administrator, the Clerk’s Office, Property Appraiser, Tax Collector and Supervisor of Elections.
  • Many County employees are working this week in storm-related roles, including emergency management, safety and emergency services, transportation, public works, utilities, solid waste, communications, animal services and shelter support.
  • Information about when County offices and parks will reopen will be announced after the storm impacts are assessed.

Airport Closures

  • All flights have been canceled at St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport on Thursday, October 10.
  • Tampa International Airport is assessing damages and cleaning up damage left in Hurricane Milton’s wake. The airport will reopen at 8 a.m. on Friday. Visit TampaAirport.com for the latest updates.

FSBDC’s Mobile Assistance Center Postponed

The Pinellas Mobile Assistance Center Event originally scheduled from October 7 – October 11 at the Tradewinds in St. Pete Beach has been postponed. Request an appointment with a consultant, call (727) 453-7200, or email businesshelp@pinellas.gov.

Pinellas County Reverse Trade Show Cancelled

The Pinellas County Reverse Trade Show scheduled for Friday, October 11 at 8:30 a.m. has been cancelled.

FEMA Disaster Recovery Center Closed

Due to impacts from Hurricane Milton, all Disaster Recovery Centers in Florida, including the location at Florida Botanical Gardens, Magnolia Room, 12520 Ulmerton Road in Largo closed temporarily.

To locate the nearest Disaster Recovery Center and operating hours, visit FEMA.gov/DRC, use the FEMA mobile app, or text “DRC” and your zip code to the number: 43362.

Residents can register for FEMA assistance online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, via the FEMA app, or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).

Storm Safety Information

Sign Up for Alert Pinellas

Important Information

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