From: Second Wind NOLA Web Site

Economic Impacts of the Hurricane Katrina and Rita Disasters

• Small businesses (businesses with under 50 employees) represented over 40% of total employment in the Greater New Orleans Area pre-Katrina.
• Throughout the state of Louisiana, an estimated 70,000 businesses were damaged, dislocated or disrupted. This represents over 35% of the state’s 200,000 businesses.

The statistics lay out the entire picture economically.  The greater New Orleans region generated 35% of the state's income from small business.  The entire tax revenue loss from the storms is estimated to be $550 million.  We are expected to loose 150,000 jobs.  In an economy where small business provided 40% of the total employment in the metro area this type of loss will be devastating.