What are examples of natural, manmade and pandemic disasters most people have witnessed within a lifetime?
Craighead: The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 were major not just due to the loss of life but also in business disruption. The West Coast port strike in 2002 basically cost various industries billions of dollars. SARS, Hurricane Katrina, volcanic eruptions, anything newsworthy doesn’t just affect life but supply chains. Even the threat of a disease like H1N1, which didn’t pan out the way they thought it might (thankfully), still altered the way businesses were run. How severe will the BP oil spill be to various industries? Craighead: The impact of disruptions is hard to determine until the event completely unfolds — it’s much easier to look back on them. We do know how this oil spill will affect significant portions of supply chains; certainly any company in the area has been affected. Tourism and fisheries are certainly affected in that region, but again, anyone may feel the impact. Companies coming into nearby ports that were shut down or slowed down will have a harder time bringing
