Hurricane Katrina: Perceptions of the Affected

In an on-going series of studies aiming to systematically gauge relief effectiveness by assessing the perceptions and needs of those affected by natural disasters, the Fritz Institute commissioned Harris Interactive to conduct a rigorous assessment of people affected by Hurricane Katrina, with a particular focus on people's perceptions of the help that they received in the first 48 hours and the first 30 days after the storm hit. The intent of the study was to identify the performance of the system of relief delivery in order to better prepare for future disasters. The questions used were adapted from a broader database of questions developed by Fritz Institute in 2005 to study the perceptions of those affected by the Asian tsunami 48 hours, 60 days, and 9 months after the disaster.