The state of Mississippi is clearly the gatekeeper for the mighty Mississippi river. This river is an economic necessity to the vitality of the United States and indeed to the state of Mississippi itself. The river is used as a transportation conduit that sends millions of tons of products up the river every year. Hurricane Katrina temporarily impaired the ability of people to use the Mississippi for transportation services and thus severely impaired the local and national economy.

Mississippi is also very important to the nation’s energy production. It has several refineries in the state that are responsible for converting crude oil into gasoline, diesel and other petroleum products. Hurricane Katrina’s destruction not only harmed the local Mississippi economy, but it also did some major damage to the nation as a whole.