Dayton Business Journal...
Hurricane Irene costs to top $45 billion
Monday, August 29, 2011 

Hurricane Irene’s price tag will be a big one -- about $20 billion in direct damage and another $25 billion in loss of business activity. 

That’s according to Peter Morici, a professor at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. 

But Morici, an economist, said Irene’s aftermath might actually give the beleaguered construction industry a boost. He predicts about $20 billion will be spent as people decide to rebuild larger than before. 

For example, he said someone who loses their stove to a flooded kitchen will buy a newer, better model. And even if insurance doesn’t pay as much as is lost, people invest their own money to upgrade their belongings. 

Read it with links at Dayton Business Journal