Horror There, Changes Everywhere

While the unfathomable humanitarian disaster in Louisiana and Mississippi continues to reveal new horror upon new horror, the rest of the nation may need to begin to brace for a devastating impact to our way of life.

I have received a personal report from Asheville, North Carolina that it is mostly impossible to obtain gasoline there: gas stations are not supplied with gas at all, and the word is that it is likely to be at least nine days until they have any at all.

Here's a separate reference to this occurrence from the Ashvegas blog:

anchor Larry Blunt... read some news about the local gas shortage. ... pimping the WLOS web site ... as the place to go to find out what gas stations still have fuel in Buncombe County.

Here in the Northeast, I just paid $3.09 per gallon to fill my gas tank, but I am hearing rumors that gas may no longer be supplied up here soon either.

Our 2005 "Walmart Economy" is vastly different from the 1970's economy that experienced what may end up being a far more minor gas shortage. I believe that we may need to start considering the possibility of near complete economic and social meltdown if gas stops flowing to many parts of the nation for more than a very short time.