Fuel Costs and Air Fares Set To Rocket After Hurricane Katrina Punishes The US

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.)

---

The History of the Aircraft Wash Guys, Part One

Business scholars and students throughout recent periods have studied the... Read More

Entering Business Aviation, Part IV: Crafting a Resume

Writing a résumé can be one of the most daunting... Read More

Point to Point VS Spoke and Hub? Air Taxi

Boeing it is said took a big gamble in predicting... Read More

Fuel Costs and Air Fares Set To Rocket After Hurricane Katrina Punishes The US

It now looks certain that Hurricane Katrina will push fuel... Read More

Fuselage Mounted Laser Vortex Enhancer Directed to Airfoils

DARPA has developed a small laser cannon, just like Star... Read More

Cactus Fly-In, Casa Grande AZ

Every year in Arizona is the Cactus Fly-in which is... Read More

Airline Travel Lingo! Does The Language Need An Interpreter?

With airline travel increasing in record numbers, more people are... Read More

Cracking Aircraft Windows with Directed Sound Waves

Today our modern military scientists have found many uses for... Read More

Mirrors to Redirect Mini Laser Weapons on Fighters for Vortex Airflows

Recently a new airborne laser system was announced to be... Read More

Entering Business Aviation, Part II: Pay Rates for Flight Attendants

Pay. You know that aviation pays better than commercial, in... Read More

So You Want to Get Free Airline Tickets: Should You Choose a Reward or Cash Back Credit Card?

If you want to use a reward credit card for... Read More

Flying Blimp Walrus Could Have Assisted in Evacuations

What is a Walrus Super Blimp? It is a giant... Read More

Leading Private Jet Charter Operators

Flying with the airlines can be a time consuming as... Read More

De Ice Boots Preventative Care

If you have de-ice boots on your aircraft you realize... Read More

Airbus to Build $600 Million Aircraft Manufacturing Plant in US

Airbus has announced that it will build a $600 million... Read More

Moving Troops and Evacuation Strategies

There are many ways to evacuate people from disasters like... Read More

FAA Intervention in Privatized Space Flight is Ridiculous

Burt Rutan and his team of designers, engineers and test... Read More

How to Overcome Jetlag

Jetlag seems to be every traveler's worst nightmare ? especially... Read More

Overcoming Jet Lag

Jet lag can be one of the worst, and certainly... Read More

Helicopters Outfitted With Airbags

You know those airbags in your car? Did you know... Read More

Tips to Finding Really Cheap Airline Tickets

Finding really cheap airline tickets onlineLooking for a really good... Read More

Sex in a Cessna, Part III

So far we have learned the safety aspect of setting... Read More

Airline Security; Stewardesses The Last Line Of Defense!

Introduction:It might come as a chock to many people, including... Read More

Getting Cheap Airfares

Airlines offer tickets at a fraction of the cost you... Read More

Do Jet Lag Diets Work?

Anti jet lag diets have been around for some time... Read More

International Corporate Catering Guide

One of the more challenging aspects of being a flight... Read More

17 Ways to Keep Safe and Secure When Flying

Here are 17 ways to keep safe and secure when... Read More

Travel Tips For Getting Through the Airport Easier and Quicker

Traveling is different now than it was before 9/11. Arriving... Read More

Airport Noise Reduction

Do you live near an airport and cannot stand the... Read More

Laser Beam Guidance for Oshkosh Air Show

The Federal Aviation Administration is devising a method of alerting... Read More

How to Get a Free Airline Upgrade on Your Flight

Everyone wants to buy a cheap economy ticket and get... Read More

Entering Business Aviation, Part III: Training Options

Time for some training! So, you are not sure what... Read More

Learning to Fly

Flying is fun. I learned to fly myself when I... Read More