No one is certain how long it will take Gulf Coast communities to recover from two Category 4 hurricanes that hit landfall about one month apart. The disasters destroyed thousands of businesses and homes, disabled major oil and gas facilities, and forced massive evacuations. As flood waters in devastated areas, such as New Orleans, recede and residents return, the locals are expected to band together and rebuild, a process that could take years. "I think that for most small businesses, such as metal finishers, the interruption of business is what's going to hurt the most," David Barrack, executive director of the Surface Finishing Industry Council (SFIC; Orlando, Fla.), speculates. "That's not easy to bounce back from."
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