Hurricane Isaac hit land this week. One of the difficult things about a storm like Isaac is how slowly it moves. When a storm moves that slowly, it just keeps picking up water out of the Gulf and dumping it on land. On Thursday, the storm claimed it's first fatality and stranded many residents in flood-prone areas. The storm will continue to produce pounding rains across the Gulf Coast. Tornadoes have left damages in Gulfport and Jackson, Mississippi, and knocked down power lines in Alabama.
Hurricanes have both human and environmental costs. When people are forced to evacuate, they don’t just leave their homes. They also have to leave their jobs. We pause to think about people affected and those who are already suffering during these tough economic times and are going to return to a lower paycheck due to missed work hours.
Hurricane Isaac is also affecting those who work on rigs to produce oil in the Gulf. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) stated Isaac caused approximately 503 oil and gas platforms to evacuate and 49 rigs. That’s approximately 84% and 64% of all platforms and rigs in the Gulf. This will add up to almost 1.30 million barrels of oil per day and 3,000 cubic feet of natural gas. That’s almost 93% and 67% of the Gulf’s production.
Shutting down Gulf production may impact fuel prices, which also impacts the very same workers in the region. There initially were no reports of major damage to Gulf Coast refineries or to production platforms and rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, so companies expect to resume operations rapidly. Depco has long been a supplier to the oil and gas industry, they are part of our family. We hope everyone stays safe during hurricane season. Staying safe means being prepared and following evacuation procedures when necessary.
For more information about staying safe and preparing for hurricanes, please see some of our previous posts:
No Matter Where Your Business is Located, You Need A Back Up Power Plan
