From a Wall Street Journal article:
However, economically speaking, the clean-up is sure to generate its own visible effect on the economy. John Challenger, CEO of Challenger, Grey, put it this way: "If there is any silver lining in all the destruction the storm is expected to cause, it's that such storms tend to provide a boost to the economy in their wake. After the initial shocks to the economy related to lost output and productivity, we will probably see an employment surge in construction, skilled trades and other professions needed to help repair the damage. There will also be an increase in business and consumer spending and companies and homeowners replace damaged equipment, household items, etc. While much of it will be paid for with insurance money, the injection of money into the economy will be beneficial nonetheless."
This doesn't make much sense to me, because the "injection of money into the economy" for hurricane repair is money that actually comes from the economy to begin with. It doesn't just appear magically. And if it weren't being spent on hurricane repair, it might be used more productively for other investments that move the ball forward rather than just restoring the status quo. But some people really do think this way, and, for whatever reason, they do get quoted in the press as if they make sense.
