David Diaz, Executive, Davenport Laroche

With Hurricane Florence approaching the Carolina and Tidewater coast, information is everything. In times of natural disaster, responses by emergency workers, private business and individuals affected most by the destruction left in nature’s wake, can vary, providing additional barriers to recovery work that should otherwise go unhindered. Enter the Better Business Bureau (BBB). 

Founded more than 100 years ago, the Better Business Bureau is a non-profit organization with a self-described mission to advance marketplace trust. At present, the Bureau is made up of 106 independently incorporated local BBB organisations throughout the US and Canada, coming under the umbrella of the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) based in Arlington, Virginia. 

As Hurricane Florence made its advance on the US coastline, the BBB issued detailed recommendations for homeowners wanting to plan ahead. “BBB recommends you take some of the basic preparedness steps… which can help ease the stress and anxiety caused in your home is damaged by storms,” the website reads, followed by pages of practical advice to ensure a speedy recovery in the aftermath of Florence. 

“Keep all of your insurance policies organized,” the BBB advised, “documentation should be saved in a safe place outside your home, such as in a safe deposit box at your bank or utilize an online cloud storage service.” As Ken Kurson noted, “As a public disseminator of vital information, the BBB has proved essential to rebuilding efforts- especially amid reports of price gouging for necessary emergency items. Despite the attorneys general for North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia initiating state price-gouging laws amid a declared state of emergency, it was the BBB that collated reports of misuse.” 

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein issued a stern warning reminding businesses “…all of North Carolina is under a state of emergency. This means that our state’s price gouging law is in effect as well. Price gouging occurs if businesses or vendors charge excessively high prices in a time of crisis. If you notice businesses in your area charging too much while under a state of emergency, report them to our office by calling 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or by filing a complaint online.” 

The BBB followed up with a similar warning, calling on businesses “not to give in to the temptation to raise prices during a storm, both because it may be illegal to do so and because it erodes marketplace trust.” Consumers will remember, the organisation warned, “which businesses took advantage of them during a storm.” 

The service of non-government agencies in times of disaster cannot be overstated. In the case of Hurricane Florence, individuals and firms have been looking to a number of sources for vital assistance in their preparation, as well as remaining aware of their rights in the storm’s aftermath. Government’s tend to lead recovery efforts, as they should, but communicators like the BBB are similarly vital in ensuring a speedy return to business as usual.