It now looks certain that Hurricane Katrina will push fuel prices - and air fares - up through the roof.
Hurricane Katrina has just killed hundreds of people, and it could well be thousands of people that we don't know about already. But now the awful diseases we've all heard of in Third World countries - Cholera and Typhoid - look all set to hit flood affected areas in Alabama, Louisiana and the Mississippi.
Fuel costs are going to skyrocket...
The chances of the US getting their fuel production back to normal quickly now have disappeared. The US has two giant disasters to try and cope with. The Hurricane/Flood and it's associated damage and public health dangers. And now a major interruption to the nation's fuel supplies.
It might have taken a month to get fuel supplies in the US back to normal if Hurricane Katrina were a mere run-of-the mill disaster. But it wasn't. Hurricane Katrina looks like she's the biggest natural calamity the US has ever faced. There are hundreds of thousands of people displaced, and that's mind-boggling.
Even with the vast wealth the United States has at its disposal, the world's biggest military machine and some of the world's top civil defense and rescue specialists, the US has a really tough road ahead to help the people of the affected southern states, and especially New Orleans and Biloxi.
The US still needs its fuel, so world fuel prices, and everyone else's air fares are likely to hit heights we've never seen before... and heaven only knows how long fuel prices will stay high.
There are just too many factors in the big puzzle.
The immediate victims of Hurricane Katrina are the hundreds, maybe thousands, who have died already. But the displaced survivors now face an even bigger danger... from water-borne disease.
Here we have people from the world's richest country who have suddenly found themselves faced by a common Third World danger.
The survivors are in an environment with contaminated water. You can't drink the water anymore because it's contaminated by sewage, bodies and toxic chemicals. And with everything flooded, how will anyone boil water to make it safe to drink?
How will the Hurricane Katrina survivors maintain personal cleanliness (vital to keep off diseases) and how will they get safe food?
Electricity is down in thousands of homes, so many have no cooking, lighting, fuel or even communications... That is a disaster I don't think the US has faced before.
Shelter and drinking water are the first priorities now for the survivors. (Most people don't realize a healthy human being can last up to one whole month without any food at all.) It's not fun and I don't recommend it to anyone. But it is possible.
But you can only last two days without drinking water, and maybe less without shelter from the elements.
Katrina has been a disaster for the USA, and now it could well be an end to cheap fuel prices that we've taken for granted. You can expect air fares to start going up almost immediately as well.
If you're thinking of air travel now, I don't know if there are any cheap air fares left. Parhaps it's the time to grab yours now.
David Harvey is a retired journalist who lives in Sydney Australia. He is the publisher of several websites including http://www.dirt-cheap-airline-tickets.info - a great source for the cheapest air fares on the web.
You are free to use this article in a newsletter or on your website as long as the resource box and the link to my website remains intact and clickable. (You must have a clickable link that humans and the search engine spiders can follow.)
Trying to find really cheap airline tickets can become very... Read More
The continuation of the history of a small service franchise... Read More
The jets that people fly in corporate aviation are usually... Read More
Smart Missiles are expensive, but effective. Efficiency in the the... Read More
The A-380 has beat out the Boeing 747 as a... Read More
Some new materials, types of plastics seem to be stronger... Read More
Key Travel TipsFollowing these tips will help you reduce your... Read More
Jet lag can be one of the worst, and certainly... Read More
One of the big pushes in aviation and military is... Read More
If you own a pressure washing business, janitorial service or... Read More
The vertical lift technology of helicopters has far more utilitarian... Read More
Most consumers feel the airline travel is very costly. We... Read More
Flying can be an adventure, but like everything else in... Read More
If you have de-ice boots on your aircraft you realize... Read More
As India increases its economic growth the population is taking... Read More
As we study this grass roots history of a franchise... Read More
Jet lag is a common sleep disorder suffered by many... Read More
With airline travel increasing in record numbers, more people are... Read More
In large buildings to prevent sound pollution often double paned... Read More
Boy I have heard it all from my friends. I... Read More
Fractional flying, you say. Is that division? Well, sort of.... Read More
Every year in Arizona is the Cactus Fly-in which is... Read More
Jetlag seems to be every traveler's worst nightmare ? especially... Read More
Are you one of those people that has lots and... Read More
Do you want a little business jet with a lot... Read More
It seems there were not many comments to the AA... Read More
What happened to General Aviation after 9-11? Why did we... Read More
In Flight Airline Rapid Decompression Breached Window (Airline Safety)Here is... Read More
All of the major airlines are now associated with different... Read More
If you want to use a reward credit card for... Read More
What caused a teenager to crash an aircraft into the... Read More
The Boeing Company has completely blown past projections for aircraft... Read More
Here's a good tip to help cut the cost of... Read More
Business scholars and students throughout recent periods have studied the... Read More
Are you one of those people that has lots and... Read More
In conclusion of this young man who crashed a single... Read More
Flying with the airlines can be a time consuming as... Read More
Do you want a little business jet with a lot... Read More
One of the major perks of being a celebrity is... Read More
It seems there were not many comments to the AA... Read More
If you want to use a reward credit card for... Read More
Have you ever wondered what all entails first class airfare,... Read More
You know those airbags in your car? Did you know... Read More
You know the Airbus A-380 is so huge it takes... Read More
The airlines are huge users of fuel. Fuel costs are... Read More
To begin with, the best place to buy really cheap... Read More
Writing a résumé can be one of the most daunting... Read More
Fractional flying, you say. Is that division? Well, sort of.... Read More
Low speed flight characteristic are crucial to safety. Those aircraft... Read More
I will not pretend that this is the easiest topic... Read More
Here are some thoughts on the study of the theory... Read More
Ask a room full of people what hobby they have... Read More
Wouldn't you like to own your own private jet? Have... Read More
There are many problems of safety in paratrooper drops. Many... Read More
Flying is fun. I learned to fly myself when I... Read More
Time for some training! So, you are not sure what... Read More
You want a fighter jet as your personal aircraft; do... Read More
Jetlag seems to be every traveler's worst nightmare ? especially... Read More
Plan Ahead For A Smooth Check-in and FlightWhen traveling with... Read More
Why did the young man near Tampa, FL fly a... Read More
Here are 17 ways to keep safe and secure when... Read More
Jet lag is a common sleep disorder suffered by many... Read More
Jet lag can be one of the worst, and certainly... Read More
It appears NASA's studies of the future of air travel... Read More
Boeing it is said took a big gamble in predicting... Read More
The process of finding out about a job, getting interviewed,... Read More
Aviation & Flying |