Icy News: Thailand Floods to Significantly Impact HDD Industry

"For WD only: primary manufacturing site inundated, second site at risk

Western Digital Corp. has extended the suspension of its operations in Thailand.

Over the weekend, rising water penetrated the Bang Pa-in Industrial Park flood defenses, inundating the company's manufacturing facilities there and submerging some equipment.

At the other company manufacturing location in Thailand, Navanakorn Industrial Park, the park flood defenses were breached on Monday morning local time and water has begun to flow into the park threatening the company's facilities there.

All WD employees in Thailand remain safe.

The company's other facilities in Malaysia, Singapore and the U.S. are fully operational.

The company now expects that the flooding of its Thailand facilities, combined with flood damage to the company's supply chain in Thailand, will have significant impact on the company's overall operations and its ability to meet customer demand for its products in the December quarter.

The company will provide further updates on the situation on its investment community conference call on Wednesday, October 19, 2011."  - via storagenewsletter.com

The article is focusing on WD but in fact, a majority of hard drive manufacturers have been affected by this flood. Do you think that this will cause an increase in HDD prices while the supply is low? Let us know what you think about the flood and how it will affect the HDD industry.