Mercatus Center at George Mason University - Browse Research Areas : Gulf Coast Recovery Project

Gulf Coast Recovery Project

Hurricane Katrina icon In 2005 the Mercatus Center launched a five-year project to follow the long-term redevelopment of the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina. Our inquiry seeks to determine the roles that public, commercial, and non-profit sectors play in rebuilding communities affected by large scale catastrophes.

So far our research has focused on insurance, infrastructure, natural resilience within communities, recovery policy, and social capital studies. Our methodology combines verbal interviews with people rebuilding in the Gulf Coast supplemented by quantitative and qualitative data in order to better understand the array of complex issues facing communities recovering from disaster.

Gulf Coast Recovery Publications | Local Knowledge | Scholars and Staff

Recent Publications:

	Doing the Right Things: The Private Sector Response to Hurricane Katrina as a Case Study in the Bourgeois Virtues August 27, 2009 Working Papers Steven Horwitz
	Major American companies from Marriott to McDonald’s to Wal-Mart undertook major and minor acts of bourgeois virtue and contributed in a significant way to the recovery from Hurricane Katrina. Doing the right thing” was central to their response. What constituted “doing the right thing,” how the very nature of large capitalist enterprises made doing “right” possible, and how doing “right” improved conditions after Katrina is explored in this working paper.
	Local Knowledge: Caring Communities: The Role of Nonprofits in Rebuilding the Gulf Coast August 25, 2009 Research Papers/Studies Daniel Rothschild, Emily Chamlee-Wright, Jennifer Zambone, Jerry Brito, Lenore Ealy, Peter Boettke, Roxanne Alvarez, Veronique de Rugy, Virgil Storr
	This issue of *Local Knowledge* focuses on the role of nonprofits and social entrepreneurs in rebuilding the Gulf Coast. In this issue you can read research articles that explain what social entrepreneurship is; that discuss how social entrepreneurs and nonprofits play a critical role in the response to and recovery after disasters; and that detail where and when nonprofits have played key parts in rebuilding.
	Private Solutions to Public Disasters: Self-Reliance and Social Resilience July 20, 2009 Working Papers Daniel J. Smith, Peter Boettke
	Despite having their plans frustrated through the regulations and uncertainty created by government action, humankind has still demonstrated a remarkable resilience following a natural or manmade disaster. We argue that this is due to the civilizing and coordinating roles played by civil society. For-profit companies, charities and churches play a vital role in the recovery process. These organizations have proven to be the first, and most well equipped responders to disasters, jump starting the recovery process.
	The National Insurance Consumer Protection Act’s Potential Impact on the Social Resiliency of Hazard-Prone Regions June 17, 2009 Working Papers David C. Marlett
	A system of Optional Federal Chartering (OFC) for property insurers has been proposed to address problems with the state regulation of insurance, under which insurers would be able to opt into a federal regulatory system, leaving behind the system of patchwork state regulations. This paper discusses the benefits and problems with both the state-based and federal-based regulatory systems and suggests ways to achieve better outcomes if policy makers enact OFC.
	Policy Uncertainty and the Market for Wind Insurance June 10, 2009 Working Papers Daniel Sutter
	Critics have suggested that rising homeowners insurance costs in some areas since 2005’s Hurricane Katrina are due to market inefficiency or herding behavior by insurers This paper empirically tests the herding hypothesis and finds little evidence to support it. Uncertainty in regulation and public policy are likely the significant drivers of coastal rate hikes and decreased availability.
	Reversing a Rising Tide: Goals for Reforming the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association April 27, 2009 Mercatus On Policy Daniel Sutter
	This Mercatus on Policy recommends reforms for the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association.
	Mercatus on Policy: Optional Federal Chartering of Insurers and Hurricane Risk April 23, 2009 Mercatus On Policy Daniel Sutter
	This Mercatus on Policy considers how Optional Federal Chartering (OFC) potentially affects hurricane insurance.
	Best Responders: Post-Katrina Innovation and Improvisations by Wal-Mart and the U.S. Coast Guard April 15, 2009 Journal Articles Steven Horwitz
	The unprecedented impacts of Hurricane Katrina provide an interesting study in how organizations innovate and improvise in the face of the unexpected. Most of the attention paid to organizational performance during the disaster has focused, understandably, on the systematic failures of FEMA. But were there any successes? Yes, in fact. Two of the stand-out responders were Wal-Mart and the United States Coast Guard.
	Wal-Mart to the Rescue: Private Enterprise's Response to Hurricane Katrina March 20, 2009 Journal Articles Steven Horwitz
	This paper describes aspects of Wal-Mart’s emergency response system and details their actions during the storm.
	The Impact of FEMA Reorganization: Implications for Policy February 26, 2009 Mercatus Policy Series Christopher Coyne, Peter Leeson, Russell Sobel
	This policy comment discusses the impact and implications of FEMA’s move to DHS.
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Recent Events:

	Rational Homeland Security: Lowering Obstacles and Creating Economic and Socially Sensible Policies Capitol Hill Campus September 19, 200712:30 PM
	Although the federal government spends tens of billions of dollars annually on homeland security, Americans remain unsure about the nation's ability to respond to disaster - whether natural or manmade. It seems that regardless of how much we spend and plan, we are unable to substantially reduce the harm done by disasters or prepare communities for emergencies.
	Rebuilding in the Wake of Crisis: Lessons from Hurricane Recovery Capital Campus November 13, 200712:00 PM
	The recent fires in California were among the worst in the state's history, leaving extraordinary damage in their wake; 8 deaths, 2,000 homes destroyed, 640,000 residents displaced, and damage estimates surpassing one billion dollars. Now, with the worst of the fires now behind them, communities are beginning to rebuild. But what role can policy makers have in rebuilding, and how can they best understand the process?
	Delivering the Goods: Lessons Learned in Disaster Response Capitol Hill Campus May 22, 200812:00 PM
	As the 1000-day anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaches, many wonder exactly when the Gulf Coast will be back to normal, and why the recovery process has moved so slowly. With hurricane season 2008 quickly approaching, it's a good time to look at the lessons learned from the most expensive natural disaster in history. On Thursday, May 22nd, the Mercatus Center at George Mason University will host a discussion on the effective disaster response from the public and private sectors.
	What's Working in Post-Katrina Recovery: Is the Gulf Coast Open for Business? Conferences and Workshops July 29, 200812:00 PM
	On July 29, 2008, the Mercatus Center will hot a panel to discuss release a compilation of post-Katrina research and analysis that will consist of six policy papers exploring the role of businesses and entrepreneurs in post-Katrina recovery, each with recommendations for change and illustrated by a case study of a local citizen who has struggled against the odds for survival and contributed valuable lessons learned to his/her community in the process. The compendium will also include reviews of popular books and a reference list of research related to Gulf Coast recovery.
	Local Knowledge - Is the Gulf Coast Open for Business? Speeches and Presentations July 29, 200809:00 AM
	Three years after Hurricane Katrina, rebuilding efforts in the Gulf Coast have been plagued by well-documented challenges. But left largely unexplored is the question of what's working on the ground. In Louisiana and Mississippi, entrepreneurs and the commercial sector have been quietly playing a critical role in helping communities rebuild, create jobs, and re-establish a sense of normality. The panel will answer the questions: What's working in the commercial sector in post-Katrina recovery? Why is it working? And, how can public policy better support the critical role that commercial actors, from small entrepreneurs to large companies, play in responding to disasters and rebuilding communities?
	California: The Role of the State in Disaster Response Capital Campus July 27, 200612:00 PM
	This course for California policymakers and staff will bring fresh insight to the question of disaster response and recovery on the state level by exploring the lessons of Katrina and other tragedies as they apply to California.
	The Crisis in Public Safety Communications Conferences and Workshops December 8, 200608:00 AM
	The Crisis in Public Safety Communications brought together prominent scholars, policymakers, and industry officials to discuss solutions to this deadly serious problem. Major telecommunications scholars presented groundbreaking research on what causes the lack of effective communication between local public safety personnel, and how U.S. spectrum policies have failed to remedy this Balkanization problem. This research was then discussed by two panels of industry executives, public safety officials, and policymakers with deep knowledge of the problems confronting us.
	After the Storm: Finding Success in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina Capitol Hill Campus August 29, 200611:00 AM AM
	The Mercatus Center at George Mason University has spent the last year learning from the Gulf Coast communities rebuilding in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. To share its preliminary findings and discuss the real world implications of its research, we will host a three-hour workshop exclusively for policymakers.
	The Crisis of Katrina: Lessons for Preparedness and Response Speeches and Presentations August 23, 200609:00 AM
	Scholars from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University released preliminary findings of a five-year research project analyzing these issues with commentary provided by journalists from the National Journal and Pulitzer Prize winning New Orleans Times-Picayune.
	How We Came Back: Voices from Post-Katrina New Orleans: A Book Forum Mercatus Lecture Series April 29, 200912:30 PM
	The Social Change Project at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University presents a lecture by Nona Martin, Affiliated Scholar at the Mercatus Center. Ms. Martin will discuss her recent work in the oral history of reconstruction and recovery from Hurricane Katrina. The talk will be based on the forthcoming book "How We Came Back: Voices from Post-Katrina New Orleans," co-written with Prof. Chamlee-Wright of Beloit College and the Mercatus Center.
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Media:

	Disaster Loan Reform Waiting to Happen April 8, 2009 Commentaries and Op-eds Veronique de Rugy

	Katrina Response And The Bailout: Twin Disasters February 25, 2009 News Articles Garett Jones, Daniel Rothschild

	Stimulus talks under time pressure February 10, 2009 News Articles Eileen Norcross

	If Spending Is Swift, Oversight May Suffer February 9, 2009 News Articles Eileen Norcross

	Mercatus Center at George Mason University Recognized for Advancing Liberty October 20, 2008 Press Release

	Daniel M. Rothschild Talks about Hurricane Gustav and Lessons Learned from Katrina September 1, 2008 News Articles Daniel Rothschild

	Letters to the Editor: Nonprofits and New Orleans August 21, 2008 Commentaries and Op-eds Daniel Rothschild

	Katrina's Real Heroes July 31, 2008 Commentaries and Op-eds Daniel Rothschild

	Mercatus Center Marks Third Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina with New Publication July 29, 2008 Press Release Timothy Roemer

	Myths of Hurricane Katrina: Myth Number 3: The Gulf Coast is suffering from a lack of leadership August 31, 2007 Commentaries and Op-eds Daniel Rothschild

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