History
Hurricanes Katrina (August 29, 2005) and Rita (September 23, 2005) caused extensive damage across southern Louisiana and displaced numerous residents from the affected parishes. The mass migration which resulted from the 2005 hurricane season has caused great uncertainty around the population size and demographics in Louisiana. As recovery progresses, timely, accurate population estimates are critical to guide decision-makers across all sectors in efficient resource allocation and planning.
Building upon methodology developed through federal and local collaboration in conducting rapid population estimates for December 2005 and January 2006, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), US Census Bureau (Census), and the Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI) collaborated to conduct rapid surveys across 18 of the most severely hurricane-affected parishes in Louisiana on behalf of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) and Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA).