Orange County has partnered with nearly 150 community stakeholders and the Towns of Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough to begin planning for a post-COVID 19 recovery. One of the most important aspects of this planning work is determining how the county’s local economy will survive and emerge even more vibrant, diverse and resilient than it was prior to the pandemic.
The first step in that planning effort is to assess the extent of the damage through an Economic Impact Assessment survey. Unlike damage caused by other types of disasters like a hurricane or flooding, the impacts of the pandemic are not as easily identifiable making the survey vitally important to recovery planning.
The information collected will be used to help quantify the economic impact from COVID-19 and help to inform and prioritize strategies for economic recovery. Results will also help the county understand where federal or state support may be most critical and how to direct financial or technical assistance to local businesses.
The online survey will be live through the end of August and includes questions about business impacts caused by the pandemic, including job and revenue losses and resources businesses may need to succeed. Click the link below to access the survey.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdgSJhwn0AapYn2amWdJd1VUYr9vE0yGCY7dQiyohrk94dycQ/viewform
The survey is part of the county’s agreement with Hagerty Consulting, Inc., to provide long-term disaster recovery planning services. Hagerty Consulting is an emergency management consulting firm that helps clients prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. Established in 2001, Hagerty has supported over 400 projects federally and in over 40 states and US territories.