Since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the U.S. Gulf Coast in 2005, the fate of the people, infrastructure, and economy of New Orleans has been the subject of extensive research and discussion. RAND established the Gulf States Policy Institute to provide objective analysis to federal, state, and local leaders in support of evidence-based policymaking and the well-being of communities and individuals throughout New Orleans and the greater Gulf States region.
Commentary
Just as public agencies across the country conducted terrorism risk assessments in the wake of 9/11, a comprehensive infrastructure assessment may be in order to understand natural hazard risks and the potential exacerbating effects of climate change, write Gary Cecchine, David Groves, and Jordan Fischbach.
Project
Established in December 2005 to support hurricane recovery and long-term economic development, the RAND Gulf States Policy Institute is dedicated to developing informed public policy in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama and a better future for the people who live there.
Project
The New Orleans Police Department launched a new crime-fighting plan in late January, with the title "SOS: Save Our Sons." The plan was developed using policing research similar to the findings of RAND's Center on Quality Policing.
Research Brief
RAND researchers found many similarities between charter and traditional schools in New Orleans but greater satisfaction among charter school parents with their children's schools, as well as more perceived choices.
Report
Hurricane Katrina set the stage for a public education transformation in New Orleans, replacing its school system with a decentralized system of school choice. This study examined principals', teachers', and parents' perspectives three years later.
Research Brief
Describes how nonstructural measures -- such as incentives for home elevation, incentives for relocation to lower-risk areas, and restrictions on the use of floodplain land -- can make New Orleans less vulnerable to storm surge.
News Release
The composition of households in New Orleans made the city's families more vulnerable to breakup during the chaos that followed Hurricane Katrina.
Research Brief
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.
Past Event
Admiral Thad Allen will discuss his experiences leading the nation's high-profile responses to national emergencies ranging from the September 11th terrorist attacks to Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill.
Tool
The new Displaced New Orleans Residents Survey examines the current location, well-being, and plans of people who lived in the City of New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005.
Commentary
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.
Report
Considers proposals to augment the existing flood-damage protection system in New Orleans with ''nonstructural'' risk mitigation programs focused on single-family homes.
Research Brief
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.
Research Brief
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.
Journal Article
New Orleans school children participated in an assessment and field trial of two interventions 15 months after Hurricane Katrina.
Journal Article
Community members emphasized healthcare access challenges; unmet needs of specific vulnerable populations; and opportunities, resources, and community adaptations to improve healthcare access.
Commentary
The federal government has spent about $140 billion responding to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and the Gulf Coast now needs more money for hurricane and flood protection and for coastal restoration. But we still haven't properly evaluated whether our money was spent wisely.
News Release
Researchers from the RAND Corporation have launched an in-depth study of people who lived in New Orleans at the time of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 to gain a better understanding of how they were affected by the hurricane and its aftermath.
Journal Article
Project Fleur-de-lis[TM] (PFDL) was established to provide a tiered approach to triage and treat children experiencing trauma symptoms after Hurricane Katrina.
News Release
Founding president and CEO of the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations (LANO) Melissa Flournoy has agreed to become director of the RAND Gulf States Policy Institute.
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