EKY FLOOD Survey Gathering Info on Business Impact from July 2022 Flooding in Eastern Kentucky

If your business or employees were affected by the July 2022 floods in Eastern Kentucky, your input is needed for a new anonymous business assessment that is launching this month.
 
The focus of this survey is to help identify and determine the impacts on local businesses and their workforce. Information collected in the survey will help inform organizations and government who aid in business and workforce how and where available resources can best be targeted. The data will also help in the development of long-term strategies within the recovery process, assist with development of possible new initiatives, and gauge where specific focus is needed within particular sectors should there be other natural disasters in the area.   
 
As part of its EKY FLOOD initiative, Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP) is hosting the survey. A number of other organizations are also partnering and providing assistance including Kentucky River Area Development District (KRADD), National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), Mountain Association, Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation, Community Ventures, and Big Sandy Area Development District.
 
“We know last year’s flooding was catastrophic for businesses in many of the counties we serve,” said EKCEP Executive Director Jeff Whitehead. “But what we don’t know is precisely where the biggest impacts were felt and how deep those impacts go. This survey will go a long way in helping determine how best to leverage available resources now and in the coming years.” 
 
All data compiled from the assessment will be confidential and only used to create a report of aggregate data. Dissemination of the survey will begin on Monday, January 23, 2023, and will run through February 23, 2023.  In addition to outreach efforts, links to the survey can be found on each partner organization’s website. 
 
Any business, non-profit, or other organization providing a product or service that was affected directly or otherwise by the flooding of July 2022 is invited to complete the survey. Impacts can range from property damage at the job site to interruptions in the workforce, supply chain or in utility services such as internet connectivity or electricity that resulted in a period of decreased productivity. Impacts can also include an increase in demand for services.
 
“The survey will only take a few minutes to complete, but the information provided can make a lasting difference for our local businesses,” Whitehead added. 
 
To complete the survey and for more information, visit ekcep.org/floodsurvey.
 
EKCEP, a nonprofit workforce development agency headquartered in Hazard, Ky., serves the citizens of 23 Appalachian coalfield counties. The agency provides an array of workforce development services and operates the Kentucky Career Center JobSight network of workforce centers, which provide access to more than a dozen state and federal programs that offer employment and training assistance for job seekers and employers all under one roof. Learn more about us at http://www.ekcep.org or http://www.facebook.com/ekcep.