If Hurricane Matthew would have taken a more westerly track by just 30 or 40 miles it probably would have been the largest natural catastrophe the East Coast has seen since Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Instead, it hugged the coast, still creating damage but not to the magnitude anticipated by restorers and equipment rental companies who headed to the area well in advance of the storm. This left more than a few opportunistic folks scratching their heads and looking for work to offset their mobilization costs.
We see this happen time and time again. Enthusiastic restorers, looking to capitalize on the prospect of millions of dollars in mitigation work, pack up semi trucks with equipment, abandon their home markets, and drive hundreds of miles on a wing and a prayer. Some score, but sadly, most do not.