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The world watched in shock and horror as the images poured in documenting the death and mass destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. The hard work and sacrifices of past and current generations seemed to be destroyed in the blink of an eye along with the hopes and dreams of residents caught up in the devastating storm. It took some time to assess the true extent of the damage from Hurricane Katrina and then there was one question that demanded an answer. People wondered whether or not places like Mississippi could ever possibly recover. Still others questioned the wisdom of rebuilding places prone to hurricanes, like New Orleans, again. But, the citizens of the United States, including those living in the great state of Mississippi, do not roll over and quit so easily. The damage and destruction will in fact take several years, if not decades, to recover from. However, due to necessity, some forms of recovery will have to occur at a faster pace than others due to their importance to the health of Mississippi and that of the United States itself. The state of Mississippi functions as the gatekeeper for the mighty Mississippi River that is the backbone of the economy of the United States and the state of Mississippi in particular. The river is used to transport millions of tons of products every year. Hurricane Katrina temporarily disrupted the ability of people to use the Mississippi for transportation services causing severe damage to the local and national economy. Mississippi is also very important to the nation's energy production. It has several refineries in the state that are responsible for converting crude oil into gasoline, diesel and other petroleum products. Hurricane Katrina's destruction not only harmed the local Mississippi economy, but it also did some major damage to the nation as a whole. In the immediate aftermath of the hurricane, the severe disruption to refining capacity caused a large spike in energy prices as the nation struggled to cope with the devastation. No less than 25 percent of the nation's petroleum comes from the Gulf Coast states and Mississippi is vital to that industry. In fact, petroleum and its products account for 80% of Mississippi's total mineral production. The destruction to the offshore fishing industry in Mississippi was also devastating to the state but it did not have anywhere near the impact as the loss of the refining facilities. Biloxi is a major hub for the shrimp industry and it was virtually wiped out by Katrina. Despite the terrible destruction of Hurricane Katrina the state will not only survive, it will eventually thrive. The dedication with which the Gulf Coast states like Mississippi are being rebuilt and the kind of money that is going into it will ultimately create a stronger state with an even brighter economic future.
About the author: Wilma Larwill is the chief writer at At Mississippi, it's one of the webs most up to date Mississippi sites, why not sign up for the free Mississippi newsletter. For more quality articles on Mississippi why not visit: www.atmississippi.com/articles Click here for other unique mississippi articles.
Article Source: http://www.changingearth.org
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