What natural disasters reveal about the resilience of rural small businesses

Get the Full StoryFollowing Hurricane Helene, the L.A. fires, and other disasters, rural small businesses have served as informal safety nets and need to be treated as such.

Natural disasters from tornadoes across the South and Midwest, to the fires in Los Angeles to Hurricane Helene s devastation in North Carolina have upended communities, with small businesses among the hardest hit. As extreme weather events become more frequent, these businesses have emerged as vital anchors of community recovery. While urban enterprises navigate complex rebuilding amid dense infrastructure, rural businesses face distinct challenges in disaster response. Yet across geographies, small businesses play a critical role in stabilizing and revitalizing their communities after catastrophe.

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