(Natural News) Most people know that Texas is home to the bulk of America’s oil and gas industry, and in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, we’re all finding out just how vital the Lone Star State is.

The storm has knocked out a sizable portion of Texas’ refining capacity, resulting in far less gasoline, diesel fuel and other products refined from oil. Gas prices are already starting to go up, and it’s no telling where they’ll top out because at this juncture, no one’s quite sure yet when Texas refining will once again be at full capacity.

But Texas is also home to another invaluable commodity in today’s world: chemicals. And Harvey has knocked out much of the state’s chemical manufacturing base as well — and again, for how long, no one knows.

As reported by Bloomberg, the devastating impact Harvey has had on Texas chemical manufacturing is already creating problems and shortages up and down the supply chain as factories struggle to find the chemicals required to produce plastics and other components that are used to make everything from car parts to jugs for milk:

Few Americans care about ethylene. Many have probably never heard of it.

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