With winds registering in the 80-mile-per-hour range, “Sandy” made landfall Oct. 29 in New Jersey, wreaking havoc from the Jersey shore to Atlantic City to Hoboken. Along the entire Eastern Seaboard, heavy flooding and other damage caused a number of small businesses, including restaurants, to shutter at least temporarily. This just goes to show how important it is for businesses like restaurants to have insurance policies in place to cover any unexpected costs. Above all, getting a competitive insurance quote for your restaurant business is key. For further information head to The Insurance Octopus website. There are other consequences of hurricanes too. Disasters like these can be devastating to businesses and homes along the way. People who have been affected badly by this and have had their homes damaged will need to contact their home insurance company to discuss how they can be helped with the damages that have happened to their homes.
President Obama has declared states of disaster in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and West Virginia, and has allocated federal emergency aid to assist individuals in those areas. This might also mean people may try and seek cheaper quotes for their home insurance in case there is any property damage sustained during Sandy. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, funding is available to state and eligible local governments on a cost-sharing basis for debris removal and emergency protective measures. Other assistance could include low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses.
Restaurant operators in need of information on how to apply for disaster relief can register online at http://www.disasterassistance.gov, or call 1-800-FEMA (3362). Speech or hearing-impared individuals can call 1-800-462-7585. The toll-free telephone numbers are operating daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. EDT. You can also follow FEMA online at blog.fema.gov, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. In addition, the Small Business Association is offering loan assistance at www.sba.gov/content/applying-disaster-loan.
Andrew Rigie, executive director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance, said his group is advising its members to maintain safety and follow official instructions as they clean up and prepare to reopen their establishments.
“Depending on where a business is located and the nature of the damage, we may advise them differently, but generally, we are encouraging operators to stay safe and take their cues from officials,” Rigie said. “If they are able to open, they may want to coordinate operations, such as staffing, with their executive management teams and staff members.
“Right now,” he continued, “most restaurateurs are evaluating the damage at their establishments and, if possible, are trying to get open to serve their neighborhoods.”
Source: National Restaurant Association
Photo credit: The Boken