In this Resilient Communities podcast, Admiral Thad Allen discusses the critical questions confronting the field of community resilience as well as a new toolkit developed by RAND researchers to support community disaster planning.
If the U.S. does not improve its ability to track federal spending and develop reliable measures of effectiveness, precious federal disaster aid will continue to be at risk of being squandered, writes Agnes Gereben Schaefer.
The composition of households in New Orleans made the city's families more vulnerable to breakup during the chaos that followed Hurricane Katrina. Two-thirds of the city's households at that time saw at least one family member move away, an unusually high number even given the tremendous destruction of the hurricane.
Admiral Thad Allen, then a senior fellow at RAND, presented “Managing the Unexpected” on April 19, 2011, as part of RAND's Issues in Focus public outreach series. Retired Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard and National Incident Commander for the response to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Allen discussed his experiences leading the nation's high-profile response to two national emergencies—the oil spill and Hurricane Katrina.
In this March 2011 Congressional Briefing, behavioral scientist Joie Acosta shares action plans and policy recommendations that emerged from a community conference held on the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Distinguished panelists include Admiral Thad Allen, now a senior fellow at the RAND Corporation, and Ann Williamson, President and CEO of the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations.
Admiral Thad Allen will discuss his experiences leading the nation's high-profile response to two national emergencies—Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill—and the lessons learned about how to respond more effectively to disaster.
Five years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, neither the federal government nor the private sector is any closer to developing effective solutions to the problems facing flood and windstorm insurance.
A panel discussion of the current insurance market and the future of reform efforts will include a new RAND report, "Residential Insurance on the U.S. Gulf Coast in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: A Framework for Evaluating Potential Reform."
On the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, RAND Gulf States in partnership with LANO and the Allstate Foundation invites Louisiana's leaders to discuss the crucial role of nonprofits in rebuilding after the storm.
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has created important health challenges for the entire region. The RAND Public Health Systems and Preparedness (PHSP) initiative has been doing work on related issues for many years and offers a relevant body of work.
This report documents some of the key challenges in coordination, communication, and financing of the Disaster Case Management Pilot (DCMP) program and offers recommendations for future state and FEMA implementation of disaster case management.
In his inaugural address, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu clearly accepted his dual challenge: rebuild a city that welcomes its still-displaced residents, and make long-needed changes to attract newcomers as well, writes Melissa Flournoy.
In addition to the $100 billion in damages caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, there were relatively short-lived disruptions to labor markets in aggregate, but longer-term, detrimental employment effects on workers displaced to other regions.
Stakeholders in communities in which health care access was disrupted by Hurricane Katrina were engaged in an assessment of health priorities, as well as in data interpretation and plan design, to produce a sustainable community-academic partnership.
The Community Foundation of Shreveport-Bossier selected education, health, and poverty as the focus for funding related to children and families. This framework helps the Foundation prioritize investments by identifying the intersection of local needs, community assets, and national best practices.
The Displaced New Orleans Residents Pilot Study shows that it is possible to study this hard-to-survey population to determine rates of return and mental illness among residents who experienced Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.
2009
Rapid Community Participatory Assessment of Health Care in Post-Storm New Orleans — Dec. 1, 2009
A post-Katrina assessment that combined community-based participatory research and rapid assessment procedures identifies health care access challenges, unmet needs, and health system resources in post-storm New Orleans.
Read Abstract
Promoting Mental Health Recovery After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
— Oct. 1, 2009
Evidence-based mental health response is feasible, but requires targeted resources, increased provider capacity, and advanced planning.
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More Support Is Needed to Integrate Nongovernmental Agencies in Human Recovery from Disasters — Sep. 23, 2009
Changing emergency planning rules to make nongovernmental organizations a key component of recovery efforts could get them involved earlier and speed the full recovery of communities after disaster strikes.
Full DocumentNews Release
RAND Helping Charities Demonstrate Return on Investment — May 8, 2009
Being able to show results is more important than ever for nonprofits seeking government funding. A recent article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy references RAND's 2005 evaluation of the Nurse-Family Partnership, a nonprofit program that provides nurse home visits to low-income first-time parents and their children. RAND's analysis of the program showed a return on investment of $5.70 for every $1.00 spent. This nonprofit program can demonstrate results, and RAND's analysis made those results clear.
RAND supports nonprofit organizations in another way. It operates the Promising Practices Network, a web-based resource that provides high-quality, evidence-based information about practices and programs that improve the lives of children, youth, and families.
Read Article at The Chronicle of Philanthropy 
RAND Promising Practices Network
2008
Displaced New Orleans Residents Survey: Where Are Hurricane Katrina Victims Now? — July 16, 2008
The new Displaced New Orleans Residents Survey (DNORS) is designed to examine the current location, well-being, and plans of people who lived in the City of New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005.
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Population and Aging Research Area
2007
RAND Gulf States Policy Institute Awards Grants for Regional Policy Research — December 17, 2007
The RAND Gulf States Policy Institute has awarded $466,748 in grants to support four research projects on topics that will stimulate evidence-based policy direction for the Gulf States region.
News Release
Schools Not Sustaining Mental Health Aid to Children Displaced by Hurricane Katrina — October 18, 2007
Despite strong initial efforts to support the mental health needs of students displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, many schools have not been able to fulfill students' mental health needs over the long term.
Research BriefNews Release
Lessons Learned from the State and Local Public Health Response to Hurricane Katrina — October 5, 2007
This Working Paper is the collected and synthesized public health lessons learned from the response to Hurricane Katrina.
Full Document
Partnership with REACH-NOLA Receives $1.2 Million for New Orleans Mental Health Project — October 2, 2007
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has awarded the RAND Corporation a $1.2 million grant for a two-year project to help develop improved, culturally appropriate mental health services in New Orleans.
News Release
RAND Gulf States Policy Institute opens office in New Orleans — August 20, 2007
The RAND Gulf States Policy Institute is expanding with the addition of a new office in the central business district of New Orleans.
News Release
Wind Insurance Costly and Scarce on Gulf of Mexico Coast — July 18, 2007
Wind insurance costs for businesses have increased dramatically while policy coverage has dwindled, and in some cases risk has shifted from insurers to taxpayers. The scarcity and high cost of wind insurance has delayed some business investments in the Gulf States region.
News Release Full Document
RAND Gulf States Policy Institute Awards Scholarships for Gulf Research — May 29, 2007
The Gulf States Policy Institute has awarded $110,000 in scholarships to six graduate students whose dissertation and research work will stimulate evidence-based policy direction for the region.
News Release
RAND Child Policy Congressional Newsletter highlights RAND Gulf States studies — January 31, 2007
Two studies by the RAND Gulf States Policy Institute are highlighted in the quarterly Child Policy Congressional Newsletter. The first looks at how hurricanes Katrina and Rita have affected the region's public education system. The second examines how schools can help students recover from the more long-lasting consequences of the devastation.
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RAND Gulf States researcher Lisa Jaycox will be honored with RAND President's Award — January 30, 2007
President's Awards recognize individuals whose work exemplifies RAND's two core values of quality and objectivity and who have also recently made exemplary contributions to the RAND community through new business development or fundraising initiatives, outstanding outreach and dissemination efforts, or effective participation in internal activities aimed at improving the efficiency of our research environment. Made possible by the generosity of donors to the RAND Policy Circle, the awards provide staff with research time and support to pursue activities related to career development or exploratory research.
2006
Governor Barbour Announces Project to Extend Study of Gulf Coast Housing Needs — October 24, 2006
Governor Haley Barbour announced today that the National Association of REALTORS® and the Mississippi Association of REALTORS® have donated $155,000 to enable the RAND Corporation to extend its study of affordable housing needs along the Gulf Coast in Mississippi.
News Release
Aiding Children in Long-Term Recovery from Traumatic Events — October 24, 2006
RAND has released a toolkit that shows how to provide school-based mental health programs for students exposed to violence, natural disasters and other traumatic events. The toolkit will enable schools to help students displaced by natural disasters like Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Full Document News Release
Providing Health Insurance to Low-Income Children Improves Quality of Life — September 7, 2006
Children newly enrolled in a public health insurance program in California reported improvements such as doing better in school, feeling better physically, and getting along better with their peers.
News ReleaseAbstract
Preparedness Exercises for Pandemic Influenza — July 5, 2006
New influenza A virus subtypes, similar to those that caused the three pandemics of the 20th century, are likely to emerge in the 21st century. RAND offers a manual of tabletop exercises that can be used by state and local health agencies to help prepare for such a threat.
Full Document
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