Replication Data for: Uneven Paths: Recovery in Louisiana Parishes after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

Why do some communities recover better from disaster than others? This study examines the role of four policy toolkits that county governments may adopt to recover from disaster. This mixed methods study examines the case of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita using a novel dataset of recovery policies adopted within each Louisiana parish following the disaster. We introduce a straightforward typology for recovery strategies and analyze adoption patterns after Katrina. To compare which policy toolkit leads to the best recovery outcomes, we use synthetic control experiments on the 21 parishes hit by Katrina and Rita, paired with qualitative case studies of parish policies and recovery outcomes. We find that on average, soft and local recovery policies helped parishes stem the flow of finances away from town, while hard and state policies temporarily boosted net-migration into parishes hit by the disaster. However, parishes that adopted hard, soft, and local policies, like St. Bernard, saw the greatest gains compared to what they would have experienced had the disaster not occurred. This study finds strong evidence that soft and local policy toolkits can accelerate recovery and that governments which adopt both infrastructural approaches and locally-engaged community development see better recovery overall.