5. To what extent will the bottom line be damaged?

Businesses worry about the profitability of the business – the bottom line. Although governments do not have the same measure, the concerns are very similar. It is possible for a disaster to have a crippling impact on a government’s budget, forcing a wide variety of cost cutting measures and the suspension of needed programs.

Indirect losses strike both government and business – both have a work force that will predominantly live in the impact zone.

And reputational loss in government translates into direct political impacts, either internal politics within the structure of the government or in electoral politics.