Federal and State Resources are Available to Assist Businesses and Individuals Impacted by Hurricane Ian

Businesses and their employees can find the resources they need to begin the recovery process from the destruction caused by Hurricane Ian. Federal and state governments continually update information online about health and safety, travel conditions, funding assistance, and more.

Paychex wants to help businesses get back to operating as quickly as possible in an effort to facilitate the rebuilding process.

With an emergency declaration in the state of Florida, there are resources readily available for you to use personally, for your business and, where applicable, to share with your employees.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

There is a tool on the DisasterAssistance.gov website for individuals and businesses to put in their ZIP code to check if they are located in an area that has been declared for assistance.

Small Business Administration (SBA)

The Small Business Administration website sba.gov provides information on funding for homeowners, renters, and businesses impacted by the hurricane. Maximum loan amounts are $2 million with interest rates between 4% to 8%. For homeowners and renters, these loans are to repair or replace disaster-damaged property, including automobiles. For businesses, they can use the funds to replace disaster-damaged property, inventory, equipment, and more. The deadline to apply is Nov. 28, 2022.

Businesses can also apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), which can provide working capital to small businesses, as well as most private and non-profit organizations to help them meet ordinary financial obligations during the recovery. Deadline to apply is June 29, 2023.

Helpful Business Tips

Small-business owner Gene Marks shares some tips on what businesses can do immediately to get up and running in the wake of Hurricane Ian and provides some helpful insight on how to prepare moving forward in this week’s “On the Mark” podcast.

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Taxes and Deadlines

If FEMA has designated your area as being impacted by the hurricane in Florida, then businesses and individuals qualify for extended tax deadlines, including the Oct. 17, 2022, deadline being changed to Feb. 15, 2023. Check out irs.gov for more details.

Health and Safety

In addition to the Disaster Distress Helpline website, there also is a national hotline (800-985-5990) that provides 24/7 crisis counseling for individuals who are experiencing any emotional distress related to a disaster.

Daily Well-Being

The basic necessities of food and water are available in multiple counties at Point of Distribution (POD) centers established by the state of Florida. These PODs are in the counties of Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Lee, and Sarasota. The website floridadisaster.org provides exact locations.

Updates from the State of Florida

Gov. Ron DeSantis has provided regular updates on the state website on search and rescue activities, health and human services information, infrastructure, and more at flgov.com.