OK DUers - if Hurricane Irene (as I am reading on several weather

[malaise]

blogs)smashes into three states and then scrapes the rest of the Atlantic coast for miles from Cat 4 to Cat 1 all the way up to New England, what are the consequences for employment?
This is a serious question.

[RagAss]

1. Maybe some jobs rebuilding and cleaning up.

[malaise]

2. Repairing electric lines, water lines, sewer lines

roads and bridges, clearing debris

[malaise]

3. Will ReTHUG governors be begging for

Federal money?

[robcon]

4. Improved sales for home centers like Home Depot and Lowe's.

All I can think of.

[RKP5637]

5. If it hits poor areas, marginal employment, cities/citizens are strapped. If it

hits wealthy areas no penny will be spared IMO.

[RagAss]

6. Agreed. The rich will always rebuild better than what they had..

[Eddie Haskell]

7. You nailed it!

Because flooding is excluded under homeowners insurance, most houses along the coast are insured by the NFIP, Nat'l Flood Insurance Program. So who picks up the tab for those ritzy beach homes? We do! And who pays to reopen the waterways, rebuild the bridges, relocate the aids to navigation and restore their view? We do! These are entitlement programs for the rich. These are the programs Republicans don't want to talk about. This is subsidized insurance that pays for rich people's recreation and vacation retreats.

[RKP5637]

8. Yep, any republicans I've known have always had their hands in someone else's

wallet when it's to their advantage, and the rest of the time they denounce programs helping people as dirty hippie socialism.

[WillyT]

9. So Far...

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/storm_graphics/AT09/refresh/AL0911_PROB34_F120_sm2+gif/001914.gif

:shrug:

[McCamy Taylor]

10. It will be used as a political diversion so politicians dont have to address unemployment.

Like Libya. Like every other bit of news that is not about how bad off we are right now.

[Marie Marie]

11. People will suffer and the Repukes will call it Obama's Hurricane

while ignoring the devastation.

[Shagbark Hickory]

12. Hurricanes are a rolling ball of economic stimulus. And I know this because I've been thru 3 of them

at least.

[Renew Deal]

13. Lots of construction, EMS, and sanitation jobs

:(