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Mississippi's Recovery, Fast and Steadfast Mississippi Still a Great Place to Live 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. Hats off to the indomitable will of citizens of the United States, particularly those living in the great state of Mississippi, they do not accept defeat so easily. No doubt, it will take many years, if not decades, to recover from the damage and destruction, but they will recover, and 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 Mississippi river is the main inland waterway ferrying millions of tons of goods and products, making its gatekeeper, the state of Mississippi, an important center of economic activity not only for the region but for the entire country. The river serves as a conduit for millions of tons of products that are transported up river every year. It appears that the hurricane may have temporarily damaged this important mode of transportation thus bringing to halt a fair portion of 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. The economic impact of the hurricane was such that it caused a large hike in the energy prices of the nation. Since no less than twenty-five percent of the petroleum comes from the states on the Gulf Coast, the impact on the national economy was severe. The nation struggled to stabilize the supply and prices. But the impact on the local economy has been much larger as the petroleum business constitutes nearly eighty percent of the total mineral production in Mississippi. 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.
This article was posted on November 21, 2005
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