Second October Hurricane Disrupts Business Operations, Pest Pressure for Southern PCOs

Two catastrophic hurricanes swept across the Gulf Coast in a matter of days, leaving PCOs along Florida’s coast prioritizing customer and employee needs while continuing to keep business operations in order.

Hurricane Milton caused at least eight deaths, sparked hundreds of water rescues and left three million residents without power, officials said in an Associated Press (AP) report. Additionally, Milton was the 13th named storm of the hurricane season.

Truly Nolen Pest Control, with dozens of service locations throughout Florida, is no stranger to hurricane season. In fact, the company is well-prepared to help customers and employees impacted by severe storms.

Justin Bellet, chief operating officer, Truly Nolen, said six employees were affected by Hurricane Helene two weeks earlier and an additional 14 impacted by Milton, primarily due to significant flood damage or fallen trees that rendered their homes unlivable.

“Our standard operating procedures involve immediate support with food, water, generators, tarps, if necessary,” he said. “Ongoing, we work through a number of avenues depending on situational needs, such as no interest loans, advancement on PTO, and we establish an Amazon wish list that team members can contribute to. The Nolen family will also assess individual needs of team members and make their own contributions to help.”

Nineteen branches were affected by Milton, with experienced power, internet and cell service outages. Bellet said from a destruction perspective, Hurricane Ian two years ago was worse in terms of localized damage. However, Milton affected a much larger geographic area, creating widespread issues like power outages, fuel shortages and economic impacts.

“Milton may prove more severe in terms of overall recovery and economic consequences due to the scale of its impact,” he said.

An increase in pest pressure is expected as standing water and storm debris create ideal conditions for rodents and mosquitoes. Bellet said the company also expects service demand for interior and exterior calls to increase as customers focus on indoor environments and insects reestablish their environments on the exterior.

Inaccessibility in certain areas, especially along barrier islands, and disruption to workforce as many of them are working through a number of issues, pose significant revenue loss for October, he said.

“Many customers are unable to receive services because of damage to their homes. However, we anticipate future gains as the demand for services like rodent control, insulation, mosquito treatments and lawn recovery grow,” Bellet said.

Truly Nolen plans on launching a community pride movement called “Protecting Homes and Building Communities” that will actively engage in outreach across the west coast of Florida, including supporting first responders, assisting neighborhoods with flooding or power outages and helping customers clean up storm-damaged properties, Bellet said.

Cassie Arriel, marketing coordinator, Greenhouse Termite and Pest Control, Bradenton, Fla., said Hurricane Milton was one of the more severe storms the company has experienced recently.

“The strong winds were particularly intense, made worse by the fact that Hurricane Helene had just passed through, causing significant storm surges along the west coast,” she said. “This left many areas vulnerable, as people had already moved belongings out of their homes and onto the streets, raising concerns about the potential for debris to become dangerous during Hurricane Milton.”

Both of the company’s Tampa and Bradenton, Fla., offices emerged with minimal damages, she said. However, many of its customers and employees experienced significant losses, with flooding and fallen trees causing damage to their homes.

The company supported its workforce by allowing them as much time needed to clean up, find new housing and navigate the insurance process. Greenhouse reopened for business on Oct. 14, and Arriel said they have seen an increase in requests for help as customers begin to recover.

“Many customers are reaching out for pest control services, while others seek support navigating the aftermath of the storm. We experienced an uptick in interior service calls as pests were displaced by the storm,” she said. “Right now, our primary focus is on ensuring that our employees and customers have safe homes.”

© Turner Pest Control

Stephanie Mack, marketing manager, Turner Pest Control, Jacksonville, Fla., said although their branches were fortunate only to sustain minor damage, the storm’s impact was still significant, especially when compounded by the earlier effects of Hurricane Helene.

“During Hurricane Milton, a few employees reported they needed assistance, and we responded quickly,” she said. “We have a robust team that communicates well before a hurricane makes landfall and begins gathering essential supplies such as water, non-perishable food, generators and fuel to ensure we're ready to support as needed.”

Turner Pest Control saw an uptick in customer requests, particularly for termite, rodent and general pest control services, Mack said, creating ideal living conditions for pests like mosquitoes, roaches, rodents, and ants to thrive.

Immediately after the storm, Mack said the company’s Safety and Risk Management and Quality Assurance/ Wildlife Teams coordinated the delivery of essential supplies to affected branches.

“That sense of unity was evident after Hurricane Milton, as our teams came together to support our branches on Florida’s west coast,” she said.