Agnes Sutherland Naquin
September 30, 2008October 2
October 2, 2008
Three weeks after hurricanes Gustav and Ike hit, Thibodaux’s business community is resuming some sense of normalcy.
“We have so much catching-up to do,” said Kathy Benoit, Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce executive director. “It’s important to have businesses up and running at full capacity so that they can service the people.”
There are approximately 1,100 businesses in the Thibodaux city limits. However, Benoit said there are only 640 businesses that have registered with the chamber. About 90 percent of those were up and running two weeks after the storm.
“Fortunately, the area did not have a big blow from the storms,” she said. “We are still economically stable. The most damages were roofing and fencing damage.”
However, Benoit said many of the smaller businesses remain boarded.
“Everybody (the businesses) has blue tarps on their roofs because they had wind damage during the storm, but they felt that they had to open because the residents needed the necessities that they offer,” Benoit explained. “But the smaller businesses that are not open probably don’t have the financial means to open right now.”
There has not been an official count of how many businesses were damaged during the storm.
The Thibodaux business community is built around the medical, food and gas industry, the chamber director said.
The biggest challenge facing Thibodaux businesses is not a lack of electrical power, which was the initial complaint. Rather, many stores do not have access to the Internet. Charter Communications and other private Internet companies are still working to restore services to many of the businesses in the area.
“It’s amazing that we have become so dependent on technology to conduct business,” Benoit said. “Before we had power, many of the businesses were at a standstill. Now that the Internet is down, many of the businesses are still stagnant.”
A minor complaint Thibodaux business leaders have addressed to Benoit is the debris remaining outside of their facilities. Benoit continues to stress that the city is in recovery mode.
“We have to be patient. Cleaning up the area will take time,” she said.
At least 40 percent of the city’s trees were down in residential neighborhoods and along the Canal Boulevard corridor where the majority of Thibodaux’s businesses are located.
Many business leaders have sought help from the chamber to locate cleanup services. One of the biggest requests from business owners is contractors and general repair services.
To help, the chamber has compiled a list of certified contractors and repairmen that have registered with the chamber. The list includes electricians, carpenters, roofers and fencing repairmen.
“These business are reliable,” Benoit said. “This list has been placed on the chamber Web site where business owners can contact the contractor or repairman personally.”
For those businesses that still have Internet problems, a list of certified contractors can be obtained at the Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce, 318 E Bayou Road, Thibodaux or by calling (985) 446-1187.
Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce executive director Kathy Benoit believes that it is only a matter of time before the City of Thibodaux recovers from the devastation of hurricanes Gustav and Ike. The chamber has championed the recovery effort, compiling lists of certified contractors and other services available to local businesses. * Photo by KYLE CARRIER
