Hurricane preparedness for coastal restaurants in the Carolinas and Georgia

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, and a restaurant on the Outer Banks, the Crystal Coast, the Cape Fear coast, Savannah or the Golden Isles can lose days or weeks of trade to a single storm. Inland businesses can also be affected by flooding and power loss, as the western North Carolina mountains found in 2024. This guide, checked in October 2026, gives a practical plan for before, during and after a storm. It is general information, not legal or insurance advice. Ask your insurer, your county emergency office and your health department for the specifics that apply to you.

What should be in a plan before the season starts?

Write it down. List who decides when to close, who calls staff, who shuts off gas and water, who moves equipment and where documents are stored. Keep a contact list for staff, suppliers, the landlord, the insurer, the utility and the health department. Photograph the building, equipment and stock, and store the pictures in the cloud. Review your insurance coverage for wind, flood, business interruption and food spoilage, since flood is often excluded from standard policies. Walk through the plan with your managers each May.

What do you do when a storm is forecast?

Follow your county emergency management office and the National Weather Service, and decide on a closing time early so staff can prepare their own homes and leave if there is an evacuation order. Bring in outdoor furniture, secure signs and umbrellas, clear drains and gutters and move equipment and paper records off the floor. Fill fuel tanks for generators if you have them. Tell guests and staff by phone, social pages and a sign on the door. Take cash and key documents with you.

How do you handle stock?

Use perishables first, reduce orders and plan what to do with what remains. Move food to the highest shelves, and consider donating usable food to a shelter or a food bank before the storm if it is safe. Label items you may need to discard. Do not rely on a refrigerator to hold temperature for long without power, and keep a thermometer in each unit so that you can read it later. Photograph the contents for the insurer.

Talk with your suppliers about delivery before and after a storm, and ask what they will do if roads close. Some distributors extend credit or offer emergency deliveries. Arrange a cold storage option, such as a refrigerated truck, if your building will be without power for long. Know where to buy ice and dry ice, and set a budget for emergency supplies. Check that your generator is serviced and that you have fuel and safe electrical connections.

What happens when the power goes out?

Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. A food safety decision after a power loss depends on how long temperatures were out of range, and the health department has guidance on when to keep and when to throw out food. Follow it, and do not guess. Discard food when in doubt. Do not operate without power, water and a working handwashing sink and toilet, because food safety depends on them. Never run a generator indoors, because of the risk of carbon monoxide.

How do you look after staff?

Staff may lose homes, cars and income. Decide in advance how you will pay people when you are closed, whether you can offer advances or a hardship fund and how you will check on them. Stay in touch with a group message. Do not ask anyone to come in during dangerous conditions. After a storm, offer shifts for cleanup and rebuilding. A business that supports its team gets loyalty in return.

How do you reopen?

Check structural safety, electrical systems, gas lines and water supply before anyone enters. Photograph damage for insurance. Clean and sanitize surfaces, and discard spoiled food. Ask the health department what it requires before you reopen, and whether you need an inspection after a long closure. Test equipment, check refrigerator temperatures for a full day and retrain staff on a short list of safety points before service.

What about insurance and records?

Report damage promptly and keep receipts for emergency repairs and lost stock. Ask the insurer what it needs to support a business interruption claim, such as sales records and payroll. Keep copies of leases, permits, licenses and certificates offsite. If you have a loan, tell the lender if you will have trouble paying. Ask your accountant about relief programs and tax deadlines, which the federal government often extends after a declared disaster.

After a storm, take your time with offers from contractors, since inexperienced or dishonest ones appear after disasters. Get more than one estimate, check licenses and avoid large up-front payments. Keep a daily log of the work, expenses and conversations. Ask local business groups, the chamber of commerce and the state's small business agencies about grants and low-interest loans, which are sometimes available after declared disasters.

How do you communicate with guests?

Post updates on your website and social pages about closures, reopening dates and any changes to hours. Honor gift cards and reservation deposits, and offer to rebook or refund. If guests pre-paid for a large event, call them. Thank the community when you reopen, and consider a fundraising meal for local relief efforts.

More guides for your business:

• Restaurant tip reporting: Form 8027, the 8 percent rule and allocated tips
• Is the restaurant labor shortage easing in 2026?
• What tariffs mean for restaurant food costs in 2026

More in the US guides for food businesses.