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Episode 414: After The Flood, The Backup Plan

Food damaged by storm flooding awaits disposal at the Fairway supermarket in Brooklyn.
Seth Wenig
/
Associated Press
Food damaged by storm flooding awaits disposal at the Fairway supermarket in Brooklyn.

A monster storm flooded parts of the biggest city in America this week. Millions of people are still without power.

But in the long run — even in the medium run — New York (and New Jersey!) will recover. And for the U.S. economy as a whole, this disaster will barely be a blip.

This is largely because there are countless backup plans hiding everywhere in our economy. On today's show, a flooded grocery store reveals safety nets that are usually hidden but, at moments like these, are suddenly made visible.

Download the Planet Money iPhone App.Music: Miike Snow's "Animal." Find us: Twitter/ Facebook/Spotify/ Tumblr.

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