It would make sense that we'd start to see prices fall now that the storm has had less impact than was feared.

With what's going on with the aftermath of the hurricane, I would expect prices to go up rather than down in September.

The impact on prices is really dependent on the track of the storm and how it affects production platforms and gathering lines in the Gulf. If the impacts are anything like Hurricane Ivan last year, then prices will clearly spike up.

oil had a measurable impact on prices paid before the storm (Hurricane Katrina). Given the fact that we are now seeing energy supply interruptions the prices paid index will almost certainly be back above 70 next month, and it's very likely the headline index will fall further on weakness in both production and orders.

By making price predictions, it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. I don't want to be a part of the problem.

Typically, our prices are higher. But the effects of the hurricane were much more extreme in other parts of the country. So as bad as it was here, it was worse there.