Hurricane Irma may not have hit St. Petersburg directly, but local business owners say its effects have been catastrophic.

  • City declares "Burg Buys Local" week
  • Hope is to give businesses hurt by Irma help
  • Event runs Sept. 24 - Oct. 1

“We’ve all seen a huge loss. You know, you lose a whole week. And that was a Saturday too. All the small businesses we depend on Saturdays they carry you through those slow days,” said Ashe Couture Boutique owner Amanda Henderson.

Like many people in the Bay area, Henderson said she had to shut her doors and board up at her store ahead of the storm.

“We’ve never had to be closed for five consecutive days," Henderson said. "And it’s not just me that was affected -- it’s also my staff. Being a small business, staff’s not usually on salary, so if they’re not here working, they’re not getting paid."

Olga Bof, founder of "Keep Saint Petersburg Local,"  said Henderson’s story is just one many similar stories she’s heard in the last week.

“September is traditionally the most difficult month to get through for our local business," Bof said. "Especially those in retail, especially those service providers, so you add in a hurricane and it’s actually probably going to be the end of some of these local businesses and organizations."

That’s where the city of St. Pete comes in. City officials declared next week "Burg Buys Local" week.

The concept is simple -- shop local.

It’s something residents like Patti Oorlog and her daughter, Amanda Smolen, said they already do and plan to encourage others to join in too.

“We may not know the people on a first-name basis, but I definitely know they’re working hard here, and I’d rather give money to them versus Macy’s or JC Penny,” Smollen said.

“We give gifts that are bought in local stores, and then it’ll be 'Oh I loved that candle,' or 'Oh I loved that whatever,' and then we bring in another shopper for that store," Oorlog said. "So I’d say give it a try. St. Pete is special and has a lot of great stores."

Burg Buys Local Week starts on Sunday, September 24th and runs through Sunday, October 1.