Post Hurricane Harvey and Consumer Goods Supply and Demand Issues and Your Gripes and Concerns

[TryWeakly]

+1 ^ wait till morning for sure

[MarcellusWalluz]

I.M.O. the fuel problem is being caused by everyone wanting to fill their tank every time they drive somewhere. Saw a guy on FM-1314 yesterday trying to sell generators, had a Ryder truck full but no one was even slowing down to look.

[nu2]

No problem finding gas off of highway 290 for me this morning. Some of the pumps covered in yellow plastic. I asked the gas station manager. He said that the hurricane caused mechanical problems with some of the pumps so he put the yellow bags over those pump handles.

No line at all to get gas (at least in the morning).

[Fancyinheels]

Economical motel rooms seem to be getting scarce in the Spring area, and seeing steep increases. My usual inn of sin (but not a PI/no-tell) had ONE suite available for ONE night next week (Wednesday), and I'm paying half again what I normally do!

[GlobeSpotter]

^^^^^ i thinck what is happening is that initially people landed in friends and relative homes. Now that fema claims are being processed, rooms are being booked directly by fema. one of my gf's apt was flooded and the apartment booted her. she made a fema claim and fema has her in a west bestern starting Monday.

edit: direct bill/pay fema

[Fancyinheels]

Originally Posted by GlobeSpotter

^^^^^ i thinck what is happening is that initially people landed in friends and relative homes. Now that fema claims are being processed, rooms are being booked directly by fema. one of my gf's apt was flooded and the apartment booted her. she made a fema claim and fema has her in a west bestern starting Monday.

edit: direct bill/pay fema

I agree. Large blocks of hotel accommodations are being reserved for FEMA vouchers, the budget-friendly (under $100 per night) places especially, and these rooms will remain unavailable for at least a couple of months, probably extended after that, judging by past disasters. Undamaged apartments will fill up and go up on leases, too.

Hotels, motels, restaurants, fast food places, hardware stores, any biz associated with clean-up, repair, and construction, are going to be balls-to-walls busy for a while, and likely public transit, rental car agencies, auto lots, and mechanics, too, with the multitude of vehicles flooded. Many people won't have time for pure recreation even if/when money rolls in. (Possible booty boon in 6 months or a year from now, depending on the recovery rate?)

I shudder to think about how this will affect insurance rates, as well as income taxes to pay for all of the federal funding. On top of Harvey, Hurricane Irma is taking aim at Florida as the strongest storm ever recorded in the Atlantic.