Looking Beyond Hurricanes Harvey and Irma

Back in 1992, amidst numerous family scandals and loss, Queen Elizabeth II called it her “annus horribilis,” a Latin phrase meaning “horrible year.”

I think it’s safe to say we’re undergoing our own “annus horribilis.” It’s been an awful few months in terms of disasters, both man-made and from Mother Nature.

First, there was the heinous act of terrorism in Barcelona that claimed the life of one of our own, Jared Tucker. Our entire PSN family sends our deepest condolences to Dan Tucker, Jared’s father and owner of Chlorine Genie, along with Jared’s wife, children and other family members as they grieve over what is truly an unimaginable loss.

Then Hurricane Harvey slammed into the Houston area, with record-breaking rain flooding countless thousands of people, including many of our brothers and sisters in the industry.

And now, as I write this, Hurricane Irma has pummelled Florida, another bastion of the pool industry, into varying states of catastrophic destruction. As of now, first responders are desperately trying to reach those that need saving, and roughly 3.5 million people are without power. My heart aches for those affected by the storm.

But once the waters recede in the next few weeks, the real work begins. As the people hit hardest by the storms begin to think of rebuilding their lives, parts of the construction industry are already in preparation mode.

My colleague, Craig Webb, editor of our sister publication, Remodeling, reports that some construction-material manufacturers have begun allocations in anticipation of sky-high demand in the hurricanes’ wake. Allocations limit how much product manufacturers will sell to their dealers. They ensure that dealers get priority access to the products they need, though the quantity may depend on past order history. However, as demand for building materials surge, this will undoubtedly have an enormous trickle-down effect to the supply chain, in addition to keeping prices high. How much of an impact this will have on the pool and spa industry remains to be seen, though allegedly steep rises in price for electrical goods and plastic pipe have already begun.

Industry reaction to the two superstorms is too early to report at this time. But if history is any indication, we will rally to help, not only our own, but as many people as is in our power to help. I’m heartened to remember the stories of heroism and generosity in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy back in 2012, and how NESPA mobilized a task force to help its members and customers get back on their feet. I’m certain that we’ll see similar efforts in the affected regions this time as well.