In the week since gas explosions and fires rocked the Merrimack Valley, much of the attention has focused on the thousands of residents who were forced to evacuate their homes. Now, business leaders are hoping to shed light on how the disaster has affected commerce and the local economy.  

“The business community has been hit very hard,” said Joe Bevilacqua, president and CEO of the Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce. “The impact isn’t only on the business owner and the business itself, but the impact is also on the employees who are not able to be at work. So, there is a loss of productivity and there is going to be an impact across the Merrimack Valley.”  

Bevilacqua said no one knows for sure how many businesses were affected or what their potential losses have been. He said the chamber has been in touch with the U.S. Small Business Administration and U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas’ office to connect business owners with opportunities for relief.  

“There is a lack of knowledge on their part,” Bevilacqua said of businesses. “They’re looking for information as to when they could anticipate that they could be back in business, what relief is available to them to cover the costs they may have.”  

Gov. Charlie Baker met with Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash, Andover Town Manager Andrew Flanagan and small business owners on Wednesday to discuss how they have been impacted by the gas emergency. Baker joined North Andover Town Manager Andrew Maylor for a similar meeting on Thursday. Bevilacqua praised Baker for paying attention to the needs of businesses and said many businesses will have a long road ahead even after gas service is restored and they can reopen.  

“They have to renew their contracts, make sure their clients are still available to them, make sure employees can get to work, make sure that their equipment is operable and of course they have to get the word out that they’re back in business,” he said. “There are a number of issues and that’s going to be one of the biggest questions once we’re back in business, how do we get the word out?”