On Sept. 13, Hurricane Ike made landfall at Galveston. Six months later, many Texas Gulf Coast communities continue to struggle with debris and damage. Rebuilding is under way, but full recovery is likely to take years.

Ike deals severe blow to Texas economy. Texas investment funding slips in 2nd quarter. Latin America, China lead Texas surge in overseas sales.

Although still outperforming the nation,> the Texas economy weakened toward the end of the year. Manufacturing and housing have been the most fragile sectors, but growth has moderated in other areas as well.

Recessions in both the U.S. and Mexico have slowed the flow of goods across the Rio Grande.

As the U.S. and Texas slipped into recession last year, a balanced economy lessened the impact on upper East Texas. In March, the region's year-over-year nonfarm employment was down 0.4 percent, compared with the state's decline of 0.8 percent and the nation's 3.5 percent. Unemployment rates in...