Severe Weather Hits NC Small Businesses Hard

Severe weather has hurt many small North Carolina businesses.

Small Business Majority is a national advocacy group. Recently they surveyed more than 600 North Carolina small business owners. About two-thirds of them say that at some point they have had to close as a result of severe weather. And 37 percent say weather-related losses cost their businesses between $5,000 and $25,000.

Andy Blair, owner of The Coffee Mill in Lewisville, has been able to keep his small shop open during most of the recent snowstorms. But he says they have caused him problems, especially during last month's blast of winter weather.

Blair says this week's snow and ice also hurt business. By noon yesterday, business was down about 40 percent. According to Blair, that can lead to a ripple effect through the local economy.

According to the Small Business Majority poll, one in five small North Carolina businesses have had to lay off workers because of severe weather. They defined severe weather to include snow as well as other major events including hurricanes, tornadoes and droughts.