Q UIC K R ESPO NSE R EPO RT Business Recovery Related to High- Frequency Natural Hazard Events The vie ws e xp re sse d in the re p o rt a re tho se o f the a utho rs a nd no t ne c e ssa rily tho se o f the Na tura l Ha za rd s C e nte r o r the Unive rsity o f C o lo ra d o . Numb e r 197 August 2008 Rebekah Green, PhD Scott Miles, PhD Gala Gulacsik Jason Levy, PhD Institute fo r G lo b a l a nd C o mmunity Re silie nc e Huxle y C o lle g e o f the Enviro nme nt We ste rn Wa shing to n Unive rsity Be lling ha m, WA Research Question The purpose of this research was to evaluate perception and preparedness, flood impacts, and recovery of Lewis County, Washington, businesses affected by the December 2007 Pacific Northwest Floods. Specifically, we were interested in what type of businesses had engaged in pre-event flood pre- paredness and whether business owners and manag- ers perceived these activities to have been helpful. Brief Literature Review Resources for recovery following a disaster are typically limited, even more so for small- and medium-sized business (Dalhamer & Tierney, 1998). Post-disaster business loans require a lengthy ap- plication process and often cause indebtedness worse than before the disaster (Dalhamer & Tierney, 1998; Runyan, 2006). Often, both the post-disaster community sense-making process and recovery aid guidelines put subtle pressure on business owners to Abstract In December 2007, flooding in southwest Washington caused widespread damage to more than 200 businesses and farms. The Institute for Global and Community Resilience (IGCR) at Western Washington University’s Huxley College of the Environment received a Quick Response Grant from the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado to research the effects of this flood on businesses in Centralia and Chehalis, Washington. Working with local Offices of Economic Development, IGCR administered a 28-question survey to document risk perception and preparedness, impacts, and recov- ery strategies. Of the 63 businesses surveyed, 37 were flooded businesses and 26 were unflooded businesses. Analysis of the survey results showed that risk perception and preparedness were low prior to the flood. Preparedness was low among all businesses, but highest among those that had experienced flooding before. Questions about preparedness showed that two- thirds of the respondents who had engaged in business disaster planning ranked it as very helpful. Despite this positive ranking, disaster planning assistance was ranked as one of the least useful activities to support business sector recovery. This suggested that disaster planning is useful but currently may not be understood well or appreciated by those who have not engaged in it. The survey also documented significant indirect impacts to local businesses. Poor sales were reported by both flooded and unflooded businesses in the weeks that followed the flood and remained poor for many businesses two months after the flood. This finding shows that businesses may benefit most when protective actions are taken, not just in isolation, but across the business sector and local communities. Sector-wide business disaster planning through sponsored train- ings, mentorship, and networking may be useful in reducing both direct and indirect impacts. The authors plan to use the results of this survey to further develop the ResilUS community recovery model. The Institute for Global and Community Resilience is currently seeking funding to conduct longitudinal follow-up studies with affected business.