Severe rain, wind and flooding decimated parts of the Southeast with much of the region being declared a disaster area after Hurricane Matthew churned up the East Coast over the weekend. Although the storm has passed, many people and businesses in the region are still suffering the after-effects as floodwaters continue to rise.

Calls to supplier companies located along the coastal areas of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina on Monday found that all businesses contacted were unaffected and operating on schedule without disruption. On Monday afternoon PPAI also sent an email to more than 2,000 members and nonmembers in the counties that have been declared disaster areas. The email offered assistance from the RAC Business Recovery Fund, a resource developed to help industry companies recover after a disaster. The first step is filling out a needs assessment form and emailing it to brf@ppai.org. Answers usually take fewer than five business days.

Companies seeking assistance can learn more about the RAC Business Recovery Fund and how it has helped industry professionals get back to business.

At press time only counties in South Carolina had not yet been declared disaster areas, and therefore are not yet eligible for BRF assistance, but news reports indicated Gov. Nikki Haley has asked the president to declare 13 counties in her state, a number that’s expected to grow as river flooding remains a serious problem and evacuations continue.