If you want to help with recovery work after Tropical Storm Isaias, confirm your SAM registration is active and join the Disaster Response Registry now, before the storm arrives. The federal preference for local businesses and faster buying rules take effect only once a federal disaster declaration covers your county, and the earliest work moves quickly. Getting ready before landfall makes sure buyers can find you when it counts.
Isaias is expected to strengthen into a hurricane by Thursday and reach the northern Gulf Coast on Friday, according to the National Hurricane Center's 4 a.m. CDT advisory on October 7. Forecasters are most concerned about dangerous wind and storm surge somewhere between Louisiana and the Florida Panhandle, and they expect heavy rain to spread well inland across the Southeast through the weekend. That means flash flooding is possible even in communities that never see the strongest winds.
The track is less certain than usual, so the exact landfall area could still shift over the next day or two. If you live or work in the area, take care of your people and property first and follow your local officials. You can find the latest forecast at hurricanes.gov.
So why does this matter if you run a business? A storm that brings wind damage, surge, and flooding to several states leaves behind a long list of work that has to happen quickly. Debris has to be cleared, damaged roofs covered, power restored, water and supplies delivered, and public buildings and roads repaired. Some of that work is bought directly by federal agencies, and a lot of it is bought by local governments using federal money. In both cases, the businesses that get ready before the storm are the ones buyers can actually find when it's time to act.
When a storm is severe enough, a state's governor can ask the President for a federal emergency or major disaster declaration under the Stafford Act, the law that governs federal disaster assistance. For contractors, that declaration is the moment special buying rules switch on that don't exist on an ordinary day.
The biggest one is a preference for local businesses. When federal agencies award emergency response contracts in a declared area, they're directed to favor local firms whenever it's practical. Sometimes that means only local businesses are allowed to compete for a contract, which is called a local area set-aside. Other times, local firms simply get extra credit when offers are compared. Agencies can also raise their usual purchase limits during a declared disaster, which lets more purchases move through faster, simpler buying processes.
The part many businesses miss is how "local" gets defined. It doesn't depend on whether you were in the forecast cone or felt the storm. It depends on whether your business is located in, or mainly operates in, the counties or parishes named in the declaration, and a local set-aside can't reach beyond those areas. That's why a business well inland might qualify while one just across a county line might not. Once a declaration is announced, check the list of covered counties before assuming the preference applies to you.
It's easy to picture disaster contracting as a wave of brand-new opportunities that appear the day after landfall. In reality, most of the work moves through three different channels, and knowing which one fits your business helps you spend your time in the right place.
The first channel is contracts that were awarded before the storm ever formed. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, for example, sets up contracts ahead of time for debris removal, temporary roofing, emergency power, water, and ice through a program it calls the Advance Contracting Initiative. When a disaster hits, the Corps places orders on those existing contracts instead of starting a new search. The companies holding them, known as prime contractors, often bring in local subcontractors to keep up with the volume, which makes subcontracting one of the most realistic ways for a smaller business to get involved.
The second channel is new federal contracts. After a declaration, agencies may post new opportunities on SAM.gov, the government's official site for federal contracting, including some set aside for local businesses. These can move on short timelines, so it helps to already know how to find and respond to them.
The third channel is your own city, county, or parish. Local governments handle much of the cleanup and repair work in their communities, and when they expect to be reimbursed through the federal Public Assistance program, they have to follow federal purchasing standards. Those standards allow them to hire without a competitive bid only while the emergency itself is going on. Once things stabilize, they're expected to return to normal competition, which is often when more local businesses get a fair shot.
It's also worth knowing that disaster work isn't all handed out without bidding. A 2018 Government Accountability Office report (GAO-18-335) found that about 74% of federal contracts awarded in the first 90 days after Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria in 2017 went through competition. Being ready to submit a solid response matters just as much as being on someone's call list.
The good news is that the most important preparation doesn't depend on where Isaias makes landfall, so you can start today.
A few steps will need to wait until a declaration names the affected areas. That includes responding to local set-asides, pursuing new federal opportunities tied to the declaration, and bidding on local emergency contracts as they're posted.
Picture a tree service in Mobile that's registered in SAM but never joined the Disaster Response Registry. This week, its best move is to opt in, refresh its capabilities statement, and call a few debris contractors about subcontracting, rather than waiting for a solicitation that may go to a company already holding a pre-awarded contract. Joining the registry won't guarantee work, but it does make sure the business can be found when buyers start looking.
Does joining the Disaster Response Registry guarantee disaster contracts?
No. The registry helps federal buyers find you, but it doesn't commit the government to buying anything from you. You'll still need to respond to solicitations or work through a prime contractor.
Do I need a federal declaration before disaster contracts become available?
Not always. Pre-awarded contracts and some purchases can move before or around landfall. The local-business preference, though, only applies once a federal declaration covers the area.
Can out-of-state contractors work on Isaias recovery?
Yes, but usually not under local area set-asides. Subcontracting with pre-awarded contract holders or local firms that need extra capacity, plus solicitations open to all businesses, are the more common paths for out-of-area firms.
Are disaster contracts awarded without competition?
Some are, especially in the first days. Still, most federal contracts after the 2017 hurricanes were competed within the first 90 days, so be ready to submit a response quickly.
Do I need to be SAM-registered to work for a city or county after a storm?
It depends on the local government and the contract. Federal contracts require an active SAM registration, while local requirements vary, so check with each buyer's procurement office.
Before Isaias reaches the coast, log into SAM.gov and confirm three things. Your registration should be active, the renewal date shouldn't be coming up soon, and you should be listed in the Disaster Response Registry with accurate services and coverage areas. Then update your capabilities statement and make a short list of prime contractors and local buyers to contact once a declaration names the affected counties.
If your registration has lapsed or you're not sure your entity information is accurate, USFCR's SAM Registration Assistance can review your registration and help you get it active and accurate before buyers start searching.