ENVIRONMENT
Katrina sure to have implications for environmental policy and legislation
The central implication is that legislation must be governed by long-term vision, not shortsighted short-term advantages
www.ecolog.com
Poor emergency planning leads to worst case scenario for U.S. Gulf Coast
The hazardous inheritance of Hurricane Katrina is a toxic soup of decomposing bodies, chemical spills, extensively contaminated water and polluted land.
www.hazmatmag.com
AUTOMOTIVE
Katrina’s impact ripples through automotive industry
New Orleans is a central hub for automotive products but contingency plans will mitigate impact
www.autoserviceworld.com
Spike in damaged vehicles will not affect Canadian repair industry
Canadian collision repairers are insulated from the effects of Katrina by the regional nature of auto recycling and the used parts market.
www.bodyshopbiz.com
COMMUNICATIONS
Katrina rocks tv, cable industries
Need to know balanced by need to survive
www.cablecastermagazine.com
CONSTRUCTION
Rethinking the concept of living with Nature
The recent experiences of Toronto and Winnipeg are reminders of our own vulnerability to disaster floods
www.canadianarchitect.com
A primer on flood damage infrastructure assessment
Assessing the safety and serviceability of infrastructure requires a methodical approach
www.canadianconsultingengineer.com
DENTISTRY
Sullivan-Schein establishes hurricane relief hotline
Service to support dentists affected by regional hurricanes pressed into action once again
www.oralhealthjournal.com
ENERGY
End of driving season, approaching winter needs worry markets
There's an enormous amount of uncertainty as to how long the shut-ins are going to last
www.nickles.com
INSURANCE
The most expensive natural disaster to hit insurers?
Total insured losses are currently pegged at US$30 billion and rising
www.canadianunderwriter.ca
MANUFACTURING
Measuring Katrina's double impact on Canadian manufacturing
Rising energy costs and loss of consumer confidence troubling signs for short term prospects
www.cienmagazine.com
Canadian plastics processors could feel price impacts in hurricane Katrina's wake
Disruptions in transportation, energy production from hurricane Katrina could send resin, material prices upward in Canada
www.canplastics.com
Katrina disaster is warning to manufacturers everywhere
Some companies implement maintenance shutdown procedures prior to being closed by the hurricane.
www.mromagazine.com
MEDICAL
Canada offers mobile medical assistance
DART and EMAT units are standing by to provide emergency relief operations
www.labcanada.com
MINING
Rising oil pricing will also affect coal
But can the mineral fill the gap left by the loss of petroleum production after Katrina?
www.canadianminingjournal.com
Katrina rattles commodities markets
The U.S. is facing a major gasoline crisis and is starting from a nearly empty tank
www.northernminer.com
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY
Dealing with the aftermath of the storm
Hurricane Katrina has made it clear that everyone -- not least of whom emergency workers -- must be prepared.
www.ohscanada.com
PULP AND PAPER
North American paper mills skirt Katrina's wrath
Main concern is over how storm will affect fibre supplies if timberlands too wet to harvest
www.pulpandpapercanada.com
RETAIL
Katrina: Will it affect Canada's retail and supply chain?
Product availability and pricing are the top concerns in the weeks to come
www.centremagazine.com
Hurricane Katrina brings gas price problem "front and center"
Canadian retailers and suppliers are feeling the impact of increases in gas prices and expecting shipping costs to rise
www.gifts-and-tablewares.com
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
DR plan critical if you want to avoid further disasters
You may not be able to save the hardware but you can save critical information
www.cnsmagazine.com
TRANSPORTATION
Compromised Gulf Coast infrastructure a "major logistics nightmare"
Damaged inventories, diverted shipments, high transportation costs the new normal for coming weeks
www.ctl.ca
Can Canada's smaller carriers weather Katrina's fuel price storm?
Fleets operating too close to the margin may not have the cushion necessary to survive
www.trucknews.com
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Want to
Help?
The Canadian
Red Cross is now accepting donations specifically designated for
Hurricane Katrina relief.
“The
Canadian Red Cross has received hundreds of calls from Canadians
wanting to help the people impacted by this disaster and will
accept funds designated for Hurricane Katrina,” says Don
Shropshire, National Director, Disaster Services, Canadian Red
Cross. For more information on donating or to make a donation,
visit
www.redcross.ca
and click on the Hurricane Katrina appeal box on the right side
of the home page.
Shropshire
also reports that the American Red Cross has requested that the
Canadian Red Cross send its highly trained disaster response
volunteers. “We have offered our colleagues in the United States
our full support for this disaster, and we are currently
preparing our team to travel to the US,” he says.
The Canadian
Red Cross will not be recruiting new people for this team but
will be relying on its existing pool of experienced, trained
volunteers.
-- Lori Smith
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Katrina Fast
Facts
Detailing the extent of the destruction on the U.S. Gulf Coast
• Hurricane Katrina first made landfall as a category 1
hurricane in Florida on August 25.
• Having gathered strength over the Gulf of Mexico reaching the
magnitude of a category 4 hurricane; Katrina again made landfall
on August 29 in Louisiana, 110 km south east of New Orleans.
Katrina moved on to cause vast devastation in Mississippi,
Alabama and Tennessee, cutting power to 1.3 million homes and
businesses. Authorities report it could be up to two months
before electricity is completely restored and 80 days before New
Orleans is completely drained of flood waters.
• Winds of up to 240 km/hr and heavy rainfall left a trail of
destruction to industry, infrastructure and private property.
Latest estimates indicate that several hundred people, possibly
thousands, have lost their lives even though hundreds of
thousands of people fled New Orleans before Katrina came ashore.
Although the city – sitting approximately 6 feet (2 metres)
below sea level – was spared a direct hit, severe flooding
occurred after levees holding back the waters of Lake
Pontchartrain were breached.
• The City of New Orleans was underwater by up to 20 feet (6
metres) in some areas, power supplies have been cut and there is
little clean water.
• Harrison County in Mississippi bore the brunt of the storm
with the towns of Gulfport and Biloxi suffering the most
substantial brunt of the storm as winds of 135 miles per hour
(217 km/hr) pounded the state’s coast. Up to 75% of houses are
reported to have sustained roof damage in Gulfport.
• The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) stated that it
is preparing to house tens of thousands of people for several
months while the American Red Cross announced it is launching
the biggest relief operation in its history.
• Katrina knocked out electricity to about 2.3 million
customers, or nearly 5 million people, in four states, utility
companies said. Restoring power could take weeks, authorities
warned.
• Some 91 per cent of U.S. oil production and 83 per cent of
natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico remained shut down.
• The Coast Guard closed all ports from New Orleans to the
Florida Panhandle. With about 80 per cent of New Orleans
submerged and the damage felt as far as Mississippi, the
region’s road infrastructure area has been compromised with
flooding and toppled concrete bridges.
-- Elise Desjardine and Lou Smyrlis
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