It’s been a week since Hurricane Michael made his landfall in the Florida Panhandle and the effects are still being felt, and will be felt for a long time to come.
The Panhandle holds a special place in my heart since I grew up taking trips to Pensacola to shop or vacationing in Panama City, so when I got an email about a supply drive put on by my University to help the cause, of course I had to take part. So, as I was shopping around Walmart for toiletries, food, and water, I started thinking about the effects hurricanes have on different businesses and I’ve been doing a little research to find out how significant the impacts can be. There are 2 major markets that are especially affected by hurricanes: tourism and agriculture.
The Toll on Tourism
Unfortunately, many places that get hit the hardest by hurricanes are coastline towns that thrive off of tourism and vacationers. This means that when disaster strikes and the hotels, restaurants, golf courses, and other attractions that are the heart of these towns suffer damage or are even destroyed, there’s nothing left to drive traffic into the town. I’ve seen videos and pictures of the destruction to Mexico Beach from Hurricane Michael, and it’s been completely leveled. It is no longer a paradise for vacationers, which means the typical income from tourism won’t be there, causing businesses to suffer even more.
Farming Disaster
Weather is one of the most significant factors when it comes to farming. Too much or too little of any one thing can be disastrous for farmers. Wind from hurricanes can strip the crops from the field, rain can beat down crops (like cotton) to where they become futile. Everything the farmers have worked long hours for, gets completely destroyed, so the profit they had hoped for won’t be there either. When this happens, a state of disaster is typically declared, and farmers require federal aid just to make a living.
Many other industries also suffer loss in times of natural disaster, but tourism and farming take a huge hit when it comes to hurricanes. So, just remember to keep all people affected in your thoughts and prayers and offer a helping hand whenever you get a chance.
Until next time,
K
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