Everyone has been focused on OIL or what its going to take for relief efforts.

However - one of the biggist issues is maintaining economic strenth.

A HUGE percentage of the U.S. import/export flows on the Mississippi river. A cascading effect can cripple our entire nation.

What of the power grid?

What is the effect on total food production for the next full year.

How will this affect the price of beer?

Katrina's effects far outreach the paths of her winds.

Other natural disasters have not had such a major wide spread economic impact that saps the ability for us as a nation to recover quickly.

9/11 was small in comparison - a few buildins on a small island. . . and it united a nation with firm resolve.

This time the "enemy" was an act of nature, and the people have choosen not to band together in a united front - but instead have opted for the "Every man for himself" mob rules mentality.

As a side note - in your business or job - how many suppliers have been affected or are not viable for the interm?

yes it will affect the price of beer.  Many of the nations brewers have agreements in place with FEMA to immediately switch over to canning drinkng water in large quantities to be shipped into disaster areas.  You can bet that with the water problems, that many of them are canning water just as fast as they can.  Hence no beer production, beer production down, supply down demand same or greater with football season coming.  Price goes up.

I takes energy to brew beer, and trucks that deliver it to the local super uses diesel fuel. So expect price increases even if the brewery is just 20 miles away.