Hurricane Helene, fueled by record-warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm on September 26, 2024.
With sustained winds of 140 mph, Helene caused significant damage, impacting millions of residents and businesses. In Florida, Helene caused extensive damage along the Gulf Coast from massive flooding and power outages with record storm surge and high winds. As Helene moved inland, it brought heavy rains and strong winds to Georgia causing widespread power outages and structural damage. By the time Helene reached the Carolinas, it downgraded to a tropical storm while continuing to cause flooding and power outages, particularly in North Carolina. The storm’s impact extended to Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia where millions experienced power outages and severe weather conditions including flash flooding and landslides. More than 230 deaths have been reported.
Nearly two weeks later, Hurricane Milton struck south of Tampa Bay, Florida on Wednesday, October 9. Accompanied by tornadoes, the storm brought heavy wind and rainfall throughout the night and into Thursday. With sustained winds of 120 mph, the storm damaged Florida communities and left over 3 million homes and businesses without power. Massive evacuation efforts took place prior to Hurricane Milton making landfall.
Response is underway from all sectors to stabilize the situation and begin recovery in affected communities. As part of this, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation is monitoring the rapidly changing situation through an extended network of state and local chambers and offers resources on this page as well as on the Small Business Resilience Hub.