I knew it was not long but a week? From CNBC/Reuters:
Global Economy Could Endure Disaster For a Week
The global economy could withstand widespread disruption from a natural disaster or attack by militants for only a week as governments and businesses are not sufficiently prepared to deal with unexpected events, a report by a respected think-tank said.
Events such as the 2010 volcanic ash cloud, which grounded flights in Europe, Japan's earthquake and tsunami and Thailand's floods last year, have showed that key sectors and businesses can be severely affected if disruption to production or transport goes on for more than a week.
"One week seems to be the maximum tolerance of the 'just-in-time' global economy," said the report by Chatham House, the London-based policy institute for international affairs.
The current fragile state of the world's economy leaves it particularly vulnerable to unforeseen shocks. Up to 30 percent of developed countries' gross domestic product could be directly threatened by crises, especially in the manufacturing and tourism sectors, according to the think-tank.
Everything is so tightly coupled together that one major disturbance has a ripple effect. They cite this example:
After the Japanese tsunami and nuclear crisis in March last year, global industrial production declined by 1.1 percent the following month, according to the World Bank.
I know that the floods in Thailand have hammered the hard drive industry. For the last six years or so, I have always maintained a months food in the pantry. Rotate through it and keep buying fresh. I will be pretty bored with the selection by the third week but this is much better than the alternative...
