Small businesses put pieces back together with insurance, loans
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Small business owners are picking up the pieces on Davis Islands, but many are having different experiences, depending on whether or not they had insurance.
At Te Bella Tea Company, one day short of a week after returning to a damaged shop, it’s open for business.
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Manager Rachel Gasser credited the quick turnaround to not having insurance. Being self-insured, she said, meant reopening wasn’t held up by the insurance process.
“It is controversial, the whole insurance policies because it’s difficult to get that help,” Gasser said.
Across the street, the Davis Islands Pharmacy is partly open, too. The owner said he’s too emotional to speak on camera but that his insurance adjuster just showed up today.
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He said he’s thankful he has flood insurance but will likely still end up paying some out of pocket.
Christina Cruz, of Cruz Interiors Inc, said she was supposed to have her grand opening this week. Instead, she’s cleaning up storm damage.
Cruz said she thought she was covered because her policy covers hurricane damage.
Then came the bad news.
“They said, well, we’re sorry that your insurance doesn’t cover flood,” she said. “You would have to have a separate policy for flood insurance in order for any of this to be covered.”
Cruz went to friends and contractors she knows for help, but she’s stuck to pay for repairs on her own.
Slowly, they’re putting the building back together, trying to save her new marble floor, and she and a staff member have a make-shift office outside.
Her only hope for financial assistance now, she said, is a small business administration disaster loan, and she has already applied.
Here’s where you can find out more information about different types of loans that are available: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance/hurricane-helene
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