Survey and Analysis of Decision Making in the Displaced Populations from Hurricane Katrina

Rand Corporation, Santa Monica CA

Investigators

Abstract

The researchers propose to conduct a follow up survey of populations displaced by hurricane Katrina. They are aware of previous studies of disasters using survey approaches and have proposed a coherent model of interactions of social and human nature following disasters. RAND had already collected data from 1100 persons in September 2005 and proposes to follow up with further surveys of 300 evacuees in Jackson and Mobile. They would focus questions on decision making for efforts to repatriate or relocate to other communities. They propose to develop a broad analytic framework for simulation modeling of large populations base in utility theory, evacuation network theory, health beliefs, economic theory, and social network theory. The study will collect information from displaced persons to answer questions about their safety and health, their socio-economic background, factors that influenced their decisions during evacuation, and their plans for employment and housing. Their data will permit a descriptive and analytic examination of how their decisions were influenced by factors such as income, religion, and education. They would develop an analytic framework for future follow-up survey data collection efforts. The empirical results of the prior surveys would be analyzed in light of decision-making theories to improve the existing frameworks. They would plan an instrument to follow up evacuees who return to the disaster areas. And finally, they would make progress in developing a general analytic framework for simulation modeling of behaviors of large populations in disaster situations.