In 2005, insured losses from hurricanes and other catastrophes were greater than in any other year in U.S. history. NOAA’s National Hurricane Center estimates that 85billionoftotaldamagesresultedfromHurricanesKatrinaandRitaalone.Oneyearlater,theregionaffectedbythesetwohurricanesstillstrugglestorecover,bothasaplacetoliveandasaviableeconomy.UsingdatafromtheBLSQuarterlyCensusofEmploymentandWages,theNationalOceanEconomicsProgramhasdevelopedadataseriesthatallowstheeconomicdamagetocoastalregionstobeseeninanewlight:whathappenstotheeconomicvaluederivedfromtheoceanwhentheoceanturnsfromresourceandrespitetoamassiveengineofdestruction?Theoceaneconomyisdefinedasindustriesinmarineconstruction,livingresources(seafoodprocessingandmarketing,plusaquaculture),shipbuildingandboatbuilding,minerals(primarilyoilandgasexplorationandproduction),marinetransportationandrelatedgoodsandservices,and,finally,tourismandrecreationindustrieswhoseestablishmentsarelocatedclosetotheshoreoftheoceanortheGreatLakes.In2004,theoceaneconomyoftheregionencompassingFlorida,Alabama,Mississippi,Louisiana,andTexas,stretchingfromFranklinCounty,Florida,toBrazoriaCounty,Texas,employed291,830peopleinwageandsalaryjobspayingnearly7.7 billion in wages. (See table 1.) The affected States accounted for 13 percent of employment and wages in the U.S. ocean economy