St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce Sustainability and Resilience Efforts Aid Hurricane Aftermath
In 2023, the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce in Florida set out to learn how to prepare for a major hurricane. At the time, the Fort Myers area had just been nearly destroyed by Category 4 Hurricane Ian. While all of Florida is at risk, the Tampa Bay region, with St. Petersburg on its western shore, is considered one of the most vulnerable places in the United States for hurricane strikes.
The chamber organized a two-hour trip south to Fort Myers, bringing local business owners, executives, and elected officials. They coordinated with several chambers of commerce and government officials in the area to gather key lessons learned and how the St. Petersburg area could prepare.
The trip was covered by Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy and the Tampa Bay Times.
Since then, multiple tropical systems have significantly impacted the St. Petersburg region.
Category 4 Hurricane Idalia sent four feet of storm surge into the area as it passed west of Tampa Bay in 2023.
Category 1 Hurricane Debby started the 2024 season with a three- to five-foot storm surge into St. Petersburg in August.
Category 4 Hurricane Helene sent a six-foot storm surge into St. Petersburg as it traveled west of Tampa Bay in September 2024.
Finally, Hurricane Milton made landfall just south of Tampa Bay two weeks after Helene. This time, the surge was minimal, but St. Petersburg experienced sustained winds over 100 mph.
Many areas of St. Petersburg experienced significant damage, especially during Milton. The roof of Tropicana Field made national news, as did a crane crashing into one of the city’s high rises, the Sundial Building. The chamber offices were flooded during the storm, and many staff members also faced flooding in their homes.
“Our building is aging and had existing structural issues,” shares Christie Bruner, vice president of advocacy at the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce. “We initially had damage from Debbie and another early season no name storm from water coming in our walls and floors. The destruction from additional water intrusion with Helene and Milton hit additional offices not previous affected. Our staff is working in co-working spaces, and we don’t have a board meeting room or conference room right now.”
While the damage is significant, the chamber used the knowledge it learned from the Fort Myers trip to help the community prepare and recover. For example, one of the biggest issues in disaster recovery is navigating federal regulations.
“We talked about FEMA issues, and just the knowledge of the issues with FEMA helped in recovery,” Bruner says. “For instance, governments have to remove debris a certain way or they don’t get reimbursed. We also knew about the FEMA 50 percent rule for our residents and businesses to make sure they were ready for the FEMA inspections.”
The “50 percent rule” has been a recurring issue in flood-ravaged areas throughout the Southeast. In simple terms, the rule states that if the damage to a building in a flood zone exceeds 50 percent of its market value, reconstruction must bring the building fully up to code, including elevating the building above the flood plain. The rule, intended to make communities more resilient for future storms, often prevents homes from being rebuilt. ABC Action News in Tampa Bay provides a helpful explanation.
Another key takeaway from the Fort Myers trip was avoiding duplication of resources and information. The chamber focused on business recovery, including webinars on bridge loans and other key efforts. In addition, the chamber created a flyer with recovery resources.
For the St. Petersburg Chamber, leadership on issues like sustainability and resilience is standard practice. The chamber’s standing Sustainability + Resilience Committee works to dispel myths, highlight leaders, and inspire action on issues like clean energy.
“This effort highlights the power of coordination, knowledge-sharing, and building momentum for sustainability initiatives,” says Danielle Bodalski, founder and principal, Philotimo-HR, and co-chair of the Sustainability + Resilience Committee.