Gracyn Doctor

1 week ago | wusf.org | Matthew Peddie |Gracyn Doctor

Building a business can be hard work. And for business owners across the Tampa Bay region, there’s been an added disruption — hurricanes. Hurricanes Milton and Helene caused tens of millions of dollars in damage to Pinellas County businesses. And that number grows exponentially when you look around the rest of the region. Pinellas beaches are open for business, but hotel rooms are still closed along the beaches as some hotels await repairs.

2 weeks ago | wusf.org | Gracyn Doctor |Matthew Peddie

If your home flooded during hurricane season last year, you may still be recovering from the damage. A lot of neighborhoods flooded as a series of storms impacted the Tampa Bay region — Hurricane Debby, then Helene and soon after that — Milton. In this episode, you’ll hear from WUSF reporters Kerry Sheridan, Jessica Meszaros and Steve Newborn.

3 weeks ago | wusf.org | Matthew Peddie |Gracyn Doctor

When a disaster strikes, you can expect help from local and state governments and from FEMA. But it may not be long before you find out those agencies can’t do it all. And knowing who your neighbors are can make a big difference in how your community recovers. In this episode, you’ll hear from community leaders and from some of your neighbors across the Tampa Bay region about the different ways people can help each other out before, during and after a hurricane.

3 weeks ago | wusf.org | Gracyn Doctor |Matthew Peddie

Communities play a huge role in hurricane preparation and recovery. And while government agencies help, they may not provide all you need after a natural disaster. During this week's Florida Matters, we spoke to nonprofit leaders, community members and others in a special one-hour episode airing Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. on how people can support each other before and after a storm. One of the guests was Thomas Mantz, president and CEO of Feeding Tampa Bay.

1 month ago | health.wusf.usf.edu | Gracyn Doctor |Matthew Peddie

Hurricane season is always stressful. And it may weigh even heavier as you continue to recover from last year’s storms. So, how are you coping and dealing with the unknowns as hurricane season begins June 1? On this episode of "Florida Matters," we invited a couple of experts in helping people get through crises. In addition, some of you reached out with stories about how last year’s hurricanes affected your mental health.