Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Effects of Hurricane Katrina on
Quarterly Services Survey (QSS)
Can the Census Bureau estimate the effect of Hurricane Katrina on the
revenue estimates?
No. We cannot isolate the effect of Hurricane Katrina on the Quarterly Services
Survey (QSS) estimates since the sample is designed to measure services
activity at the national level and not for specific geographic areas.
Even though we cannot isolate the effect, we did receive indications from
companies that the hurricanes had both positive and negative effects on their
quarterly revenue. Some firms reported a drop in revenue due to permanent or
temporary closures and others reduced business due to damage, fewer
customers, and/or lack of employees. On the other hand, some firms reported
revenue increases in covered services for the affected areas.
The areas most affected by the hurricanes accounted for a minimal percentage
of total U.S. services activity in the 2002 Economic Census. See
http://www.census.gov/econ/www/Katrina.htm for data from the 2002 Economic
Census for the Gulf Coast areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Does the Census Bureau have quarterly estimates of revenue for the
affected areas?
No. We cannot separately quantify the impact on the affected areas because the
QSS is designed to estimate revenue at the United States level only.
Was the Census Bureau able to collect information from firms operating
within the affected areas?
Yes. In Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, company response was in a normal
range. Further, many large, regional, and other multi-location firms with reporting
offices outside the affected states responded at a normal rate and included
revenue data for locations, both open and closed, located in the affected areas.
Has the reliability of the revenue estimate changed because of the
hurricane?
No, the reliability has not changed substantially. At the national level, reported
revenue exhibited variation similar to that for prior quarters. A few indiv