TXST and industry partners launch disaster preparedness and resiliency website for Texas small businesses
BeforeDuringAfter, a multi-functional website designed to help Texas small businesses prepare for, respond to, and ultimately recover from natural disasters and other unpredictable incidents, is now available statewide at beforeduringafter.com.
BeforeDuringAfter was created through a public- private partnership between the Texas State University Institute for Government Innovation, Texas Mutual Insurance Company, TEXSAR, OneStar Foundation, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, with additional support from Wells Fargo.
“In Texas, disasters start and end locally,” said Rebecca Davio, director of TXST’s Institute for Government Innovation. “Creating BeforeDuringAfter took more than two years, and we are proud that the platform is finally available to aid in the resilience of Texas communities when facing disasters.”
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 40% of small businesses that close in the wake of a disaster never reopen, and an additional 29% go out of business within two years of a disaster.
To help small businesses with resources, BeforeDuringAfter provides a readiness roadmap that outlines essential steps to help them prepare before a disaster strikes, includes access to crucial government information and local news updates during a disaster, and features a recovery timeline that includes steps businesses can take to help them bounce back after a disaster.
“At TEXSAR, we pride ourselves on preparedness,” said Justin McInnis, president at Texas Search and Rescue. “This new platform better connects Texas communities with their local emergency management officials, trusted disaster focused data sources and response agencies, ultimately helping small businesses prepare before a disaster and providing them with necessary resources to navigate and recover from the unexpected. We’re proud to partner with like-minded organizations to launch a tool that can make a difference for small businesses and the communities in which they reside.”
For more information on BeforeDuringAfter and to learn how to prepare your small business before disaster, visit beforeduringafter. com.
