Tropical Storm Flossie hit Hawaii's Big Island with rain and heavy surf last night but lost its hurricane status and was downgraded to a Tropical Storm this morning. Most of the heavy winds and rain ravaged at sea but spared the land. Tropical Storm Erin is expected to hit Texas in the next two days bringing up to 8 inches of rain to the middle Texas coast. Erin threatens to bring downpours to a state that already has had one of its rainiest summers on record. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Dean is gathering energy off the Atlantic Coast. August is the heart of hurricane season.

As tropical storms are identified and mapped, those potentially affected prepare. That preparation generally means that homeowners and businesses head to hardware stores such as Lowes Companies, Inc. (LOW) and The Home Depot, Inc. (HD) for supplies to board up and reinforce their houses and buildings and to Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT) for emergency food, water and medical supplies.

While businesses providing supplies often reap a benefit from the storms, many businesses are forced to close and evacuate employees. According to Forbes Magazine,

Tropical Storm Erin “prompted Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSL) to evacuate 188 people from facilities in its path. The company said it will temporarily suspend 5 million cubic feet of daily natural gas production.”

Small businesses often bear the heavy brunt after a hurricane as they do not have the resources to rebuild. After the Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, congress created The Small Business Hurricane Relief and Reconstruction Act of 2005 which assisted small businesses damaged by these hurricanes.

Senator Evan Bayh, a member of the Small Business Committee commented, "Small businesses are the engine of our economy and it is crucial that the businesses devastated by hurricanes have the support they need to get back on their feet."