Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Hurricane Katrina's Effect on Sales and Inventories of
The Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey
September 2005

Can the Census Bureau estimate the effect of Hurricane Katrina on U.S. total wholesale sales and inventories for September?

We cannot quantify the effect of Hurricane Katrina on the September 2005 wholesale sales and inventories as the Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey (MWTS) measures wholesale activity on a national level and not at specific geographic areas.

The areas affected by the hurricane ordinarily account for a minimal percentage of total U.S. wholesale activity based on the 2002 Economic Census. See http://www.census.gov/econ/www/Katrina.htm for data from the 2002 Economic Census for the areas affected by the Hurricane Katrina.

Can the Census Bureau produce monthly wholesale sales and inventory estimates for the affected area?

No. We cannot separately estimate wholesale sales and inventories for the affected areas since the MWTS is designed to estimate sales and inventories at the national level only.

Was Census able to collect information from firms operating within the affected areas?

Yes. We mailed questionnaires to 66 firms in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama and 65 were able to provide data for September. This is consistent with previous months response. Further, many large, regional, and other multi-location firms with reporting offices outside the affected states responded at a normal rate.

Did the Census Bureau alter the seasonal adjustment options for the month?

No. The review of the seasonal adjustment output and diagnostics did not indicate that adjustments to the options were necessary for this month.

How did you represent the September end-of-month inventories for companies that had inventories damaged or destroyed as a result of Hurricane Katrina?

Companies report inventories based on their financial records. Any adjustments to reflect the effects of the hurricane (such as a write-down) will be included in our data when companies reflect it on their records. No significant write-downs to end-of-month inventories were reported by companies for September.