As the 2026 hurricane season approaches, the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council (TBRPC) is urging small businesses to prepare now through Project Phoenix, an innovative training initiative that combines a realistic Category 5 hurricane video simulation with interactive tabletop training exercises. The TBRPC will be hosting six countywide training exercises across the Tampa Bay Region from Monday, April 20, through Friday, May 1.
The program immerses participants in a powerful, scenario-based experience that asks a critical question: What would happen if a catastrophic hurricane directly impacted the Tampa Bay region?
Project Phoenix features a video simulation of a Category 5 hurricane making landfall in Tampa Bay, illustrating the storm’s formation, impact and devastating aftermath. The experience is paired with facilitated tabletop exercises that guide small business owners and emergency managers through real-world decision-making at every stage of disaster recovery, from immediate response to long-term rebuilding.
The training is structured around four key recovery phases:
- One Day Later: Immediate impacts and damage assessment.
- One Week Later: Short-term recovery operations.
- One to Six Months Later: Long-term recovery planning.
- One Year Later: Full recovery and resilience building.
Through guided discussions, participants evaluate business continuity plans, emergency communications, staffing challenges and financial recovery strategies. The program also integrates lessons learned from real business owners impacted by past hurricanes, including Helene and Milton, providing practical insights that can be applied before disaster strikes.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our regional economy, but many are not fully prepared for a catastrophic storm,” said TBRPC Executive Director Wren Krahl. “Project Phoenix helps business owners visualize the risks and, more importantly, equips them with the tools to recover quickly and reopen.”
The urgency is clear: Studies show that up to 40 percent of small businesses may never reopen after a major disaster without adequate preparation. Project Phoenix is designed to change that outcome by strengthening coordination between businesses and emergency management agencies and improving preparedness across the region.
The full-day tabletop training exercises will be held in each county for small businesses and local government staff, with the Hillsborough event being on April 20 at the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County, located at 1002 E. Palm Ave. in Tampa, from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
To learn more about Project Phoenix or register for the event, visit https://phoenix.tbrpc.org/.