What About Me? Exploring Dennis’ Toll

With all the attention paid to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the past month, most Americans have forgotten about Hurricane Dennis, which tore through South Florida in early July.

The Miami Herald reports that thousands of local residents, overshadowed by the destruction in Louisiana and throughout the Gulf Coast, are still waiting for repairs to be made on their damaged homes. Moreover, thousands more are still in need of serious repairs after last year’s hurricane season - one of the most notorious on record - saw four major storms hit the state. The relentless onslaught of storms and the region’s construction boom have left South Florida with a shortage of raw materials… and patience.

Roofing companies in particular are so swamped with work an abundance of calls are going unanswered. One has even gone so far as to leave a recorded message advising would-be customers to try calling back in a few weeks. Other tree and roofing companies have waiting lists of several weeks. In addition to lack of raw materials, the region faces another shortage - manpower. Crews that might otherwise be working in Florida are instead battling the carnage in Louisiana, Alabama, Texas and Mississippi.

It is just another example of how far-reaching the effects of Katrina and Rita have been. It remains to be seen how long it takes South Florida construction and home repair services to stabilize.