Reply #2: There are shortages of food, gasoline, bottled water...

[teryang]

...continuing widespread electrical outages and no hurry to take down the plywood and sandbags until the press stops harping on Ivan. Stores and resturants are not selling perishables if they are smart and many are not restocking until they see what happens to Ivan.

The tourism business has been marginal since 911 and many smaller hospitality business (restaurants and hotels) will fold under this pressure. They were overpriced erratic income producers before this, now they are solidly in the red with all kinds of losses. How will they raise new funds to cover their losses and the newly damaged dilapidated structures with already red inked balance sheets?