For Tornado-Impacted Communities, IEDC Offers Heartfelt Condolences, Plus Resources to Support the Recovery Process

The IEDC board and staff express our deepest sympathy to those affected by the recent string of deadly tornadoes in the Midwest and South. While these tornadoes destroyed homes and businesses, the foundations that make these communities great remain intact. We remain confident in the ability of each to rebuild and recover, stronger and more resilient than before. IEDC is committed to helping communities and their businesses bounce back and prosper after a disaster, and has resources and knowledge to offer. Communities that have been affected – and those who want to prepare – can explore this sites resources for economic development professionals to use before and after a major crisis. This site includes recovery resources such as how to set up a business recovery center, how to support small businesses, planning efforts to rebuild your community, and crisis communications. In addition, IEDC is launching a user-friendly Disaster Recovery Toolkit in late May. Called “Leadership in Times of Crisis: A Toolkit for Economic Recovery and Resiliency,” this publication will provide a host of learnings from the field regarding disaster preparedness and recovery, plus tools, how-to’s, checklists, and more to assist economic recovery stakeholders in a major crisis. Also available to provide immediate resources and support to disaster-impacted businesses is the Disaster Help Desk for Businesses. Funded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Business Civic Leadership Center and aimed at small businesses and local chambers of commerce, the Disaster Help Desk provides advice on preparedness and continuity, and guides disaster-impacted organizations through the steps of recovery and re-opening.