Case Studies

Partnering to Measure Post-storm Population

After the hurricanes of 2005, a mass migration of Louisiana residents created uncertainty about South Louisiana’s population size and demographics.

As leaders and decision makers attempted to ensure efficient resource allocation and planning during the regions recovery process, the need for timely, accurate population estimates became critical. To address this demand, a rapid estimate survey of hurricane-affected parishes was planned and conducted by the Louisiana Public Health Institute, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, and the Louisiana Recovery Authority.

Known as the 2006 Louisiana Health and Population Survey, the project was developed using the sampling and survey methods expertise of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Census Bureau.

Because the survey needed to be completed in a short time period, LPHI was called upon to solve the problem of connecting census blocks randomly selected for surveying to the field teams actually performing the surveys. Specifically, LPHI had to find a way to enable field teams to locate small areas spread randomly throughout 18 hurricane-affected parishes.

Working with the Population Estimate team, LPHI’s Division of Information Services devised a plan to map all the selected blocks. During the month of September 2006, LPHI’s Geographic Information Systems specialist used software, census data and a strategic technology partnership with the CDC to generate thousands of maps for every census block in the clusters randomly selected for surveying.

Each map included road and water features to aid in locating and identifying the boundaries of census geographies. Where available, these block-level maps were supplemented with satellite imagery to help surveyors locate tiny communities along Louisiana’s coastline.

Facilitated by these mapping resources, Population Estimate team surveyors were able to produce population estimates for parishes across South Louisiana and provide data on household demographics, health conditions, insurance status, mental health, and more. This crucial information was then distributed to agencies and leaders at the local, state and federal levels.