The Effects of Hurricane Katrina on Poverty and Population Size

Hurricanes can cause devastation and lifelong impacts to infrastructure, human and animal populations, society and the landscape, especially along the coastal areas of warm waters. This study examines Hurricane Katrina and its effect on poverty rate, median incomes, home ownership versus renting, and population change based on 2000, 2005, 2006, and 2010. The census data was based on low-lying coastal Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama counties and its census tracts inside these counties. The effects of Hurricane Katrina have caused the population to drop from 2005 to 2006, increasing poverty rates in most counties and census tracts, and shifted the rate in renters versus home ownership. The population rose again from 2006 to 2010 in most of the counties. The goal of the next step is to examine if the recovery rates differ between the rich and poor areas. This study is important, because Hurricane Katrina has taken a big hit on the New Orleans area’s economy, the number of people who have resided there or have left the area, and the home and median income values as well