• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons

2

MacKenzie Scott's approach to her $26 billion giving spree was inspired by a book she read in college about writing

3

Social Security faces a 24% cut in 2032—that's a $345 billion hit to retirees nationwide, watchdog says

1

AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons

2

MacKenzie Scott's approach to her $26 billion giving spree was inspired by a book she read in college about writing

3

Social Security faces a 24% cut in 2032—that's a $345 billion hit to retirees nationwide, watchdog says
FinanceEconomy

Recent hurricanes are distorting the U.S. economy’s underlying trend

Jason Ma
By
Jason Ma
Jason Ma
Weekend Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
Jason Ma
By
Jason Ma
Jason Ma
Weekend Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 21, 2024, 4:33 PM ET
flooded streets
A flooded street in the wake of Hurricane Milton in Siesta Key, Fla., on Oct. 10.Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo—AFP/Getty Images

The staggering one-two punch of hurricanes Helene and Milton has been one of the most destructive on record, obscuring the view of the U.S. economy, Goldman Sachs said.

Recommended Video

Property damage estimates vary widely but center at a combined $90 billion, revealed an analyst note published on Sunday, led by chief economist Jan Hatzius. That devastating figure ranks No. 5 on the list of the 10 worst hurricanes since World War II.

In addition to the physical damage, the storms also carried broad “societal footprints” with almost 10% of the population impacted by at least one of them, Goldman said.

Economic data that corresponds to October will be most skewed by the disasters, though some more than others, Goldman added, potentially masking the precise state of market conditions and ongoing trends.

But for certain indicators, “the distortions will be large enough—and their exact size uncertain enough—to obscure the economy’s underlying trend to some degree, but geographic breakdowns and commentary from statistical agencies will offer some clarity on the impact where available,” the note said.

One of the main areas where hurricane-related effects will be felt is in employment numbers.

After weekly jobless claims rose by 14,000 recently in hard-hit states, Goldman sees them climbing further by 5,000 to 10,000 in the upcoming print. They will decline after this week, but filings will likely remain above pre-disaster levels for another month, it added.

Meanwhile, the closely watched monthly payroll report should see a drag of 40,000 to 50,000 jobs from the hurricanes when the Labor Department releases October data early next month, with the unemployment rate ticking up by 0.05 percentage points, Goldman predicted.

GDP will take a 0.3-percentage-point hit in the fourth quarter, but the following quarter will experience a rebound of similar magnitude, analysts said. Industrial production, retail sales, and construction activity will be most impacted.

Elsewhere, inflation usually doesn’t move much after natural disasters, but Helene and Milton could impact the auto market. Some production of parts was interrupted, and higher demand to replace the cars destroyed by the storms could put upward pressure on prices, Goldman warned.

Separately, analysts at Wells Fargo also assessed the economic impacts of the hurricanes, and noted a potential disparity between different states.

Florida, which was primarily hit by Milton, has been more adept at recovering from previous natural disasters and should see fewer knock-on effects from the storm, the note said.

But for areas that were hit hard by Helene, like western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, the recovery timeline is less certain as their respective regional economies are less diverse and they have higher poverty rates along with lower insurance coverage, Wells Fargo said.

“Along similar lines, many residents could be displaced, and there could also be an out-migration of higher-income residents who are able to relocate,” analysts warned. “Population outflows could spark a decline in home values, decrease household wealth, and lead to an increase in poverty rates.”

About the Author
Jason Ma
By Jason MaWeekend Editor

Jason Ma is the weekend editor at Fortune, where he covers markets, the economy, finance, and housing.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

broker
InvestingMarkets
Markets have worst day since October as tech stocks lead the way down, traders lose hope of rate cut
By Damian J. Troise, Alex Veiga and The Associated PressJune 5, 2026
6 hours ago
Tech stocks lead market bloodbath as fears of Fed rate hikes add to worries about the AI-fueled chip boom petering out
Investingtech stocks
Tech stocks lead market bloodbath as fears of Fed rate hikes add to worries about the AI-fueled chip boom petering out
By Jason MaJune 5, 2026
7 hours ago
The Class of 2026: Meet the 12 companies making their Fortune 500 debut
Startups & VentureFortune 500
The Class of 2026: Meet the 12 companies making their Fortune 500 debut
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 5, 2026
8 hours ago
Shoppers search for meat and pork product inside Walmart store
Economyfarming
The U.S. is still one of the world’s biggest meat producers. So why are Americans paying so much for beef?
By Tristan BoveJune 5, 2026
9 hours ago
College Ave Private Student Loans review
Personal FinanceLoans
College Ave Private Student Loans review
By Joseph HostetlerJune 5, 2026
12 hours ago
Elon Musk holding a glass of wine.
BankingSpaceX
Jamie Dimon called Elon Musk the ‘Edison of our time’ as JPMorgan hosted SpaceX’s $75 billion IPO road show—and even invited Musk’s mom
By Tristan BoveJune 5, 2026
12 hours ago

Most Popular

AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons
AI
AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 5, 2026
21 hours ago
MacKenzie Scott's approach to her $26 billion giving spree was inspired by a book she read in college about writing
Success
MacKenzie Scott's approach to her $26 billion giving spree was inspired by a book she read in college about writing
By Sydney LakeJune 5, 2026
22 hours ago
Social Security faces a 24% cut in 2032—that's a $345 billion hit to retirees nationwide, watchdog says
Economy
Social Security faces a 24% cut in 2032—that's a $345 billion hit to retirees nationwide, watchdog says
By Nick LichtenbergJune 5, 2026
22 hours ago
Ohio city workers are covering automated license plate readers with trash bags as officials sound the alarm on 'egregious violations' of privacy
Cybersecurity
Ohio city workers are covering automated license plate readers with trash bags as officials sound the alarm on 'egregious violations' of privacy
By Sasha RogelbergJune 3, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 5, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 5, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 5, 2026
16 hours ago
10,000 Boomers a day, $39 trillion in debt, and no benefit cuts: Bessent stakes Social Security on the Trump economy
Economy
10,000 Boomers a day, $39 trillion in debt, and no benefit cuts: Bessent stakes Social Security on the Trump economy
By Nick LichtenbergJune 4, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.