PsychoBen

Not that I have any money in it, but it is certainly an interesting case study. I can only bury my head on Fox News for so many hours before I turn my attention of other aspects of the disaster.

The reality is that it is large companies like Home Depot and Lowes that can provide emergency supplies for current crisis, and make rebuilding possible in months and years instead of decades. The backbone of these companies are their stocks. Home Depot has always spearheaded charitable causes to help disaster struck areas in the past.
Imagine with only local mom and pop hardware stores providing material and supplies for the rebuilding effort. They don't even have the logistic to gather and send the supplies down there in any sort of orderly manner.