Abstract
Jeffrey A. Groen and Anne E. Polivka (2009)
"Going Home after Hurricane Katrina: Determinants of Return Migration and
Changes in Affected Areas"
This paper examines the decision of Hurricane Katrina evacuees to return to their pre-Katrina areas and documents how the composition of the Katrina-affected region changed over
time. Using data from the Current Population Survey, we show that an evacuee’s age and the
severity of damage in an evacuee’s county of origin are important determinants of whether an
evacuee returned during the first year after the storm. Blacks were less likely to return than
whites, but this difference is primarily related to the geographical pattern of storm damage rather
than to race per se. The difference between the composition of evacuees who returned and the
composition of evacuees who did not return is the primary force behind changes in the
composition of the affected areas in the first two years after the storm. Katrina is associated with
substantial shifts in the racial composition of the affected areas (namely a decrease in the
percentage of residents who are black) and an increasing presence of Hispanics. Katrina is also
associated with an increase in the percentage of older residents, a decrease in the percentage of
residents with low income/education, and an increase in the percentage of residents with high
income/education.
Last Modified Date: September 25, 2009
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