STRESS FACTORS IN THE AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE-ERIN AND HURRICANE-OPAL - DATA FROM SMALL-BUSINESS-OWNERS

Hurricanes Erin and Opal struck the same coastal region in the Northwe st Florida Panhandle in late summer of 1995. The study examined the st ressors that most affected small businesses in the region in the after math of the storms. Power outages, telephone disruptions, employees' a vailability, debris removal, and lack of customers were the major prob lem areas reported by business owners (N=57 of 500 potential responden ts). The results indicate that most of the stress factors were transit ory and the findings are discussed in light of Murphy's 1985 conceptua l model of disaster research.