Field Damage Survey of New Orleans Homes in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

Abstract

Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent flood caused by the failure of the levee system had a severe impact on low- and middle-income neighborhoods in the city of New Orleans. This paper presents the damage survey data collected in the neighborhoods of New Orleans East, the Lower Ninth, and the Upper Ninth during a series of field reconnaissance activities that spanned the period of November 2005 to April 2006. A total of 82 low- to middle-income residential buildings were surveyed for structural and nonstructural damage. Detailed observations on different building components are presented along with the depth of flooding experienced and the approximate geographic location of the surveyed buildings. A costing algorithm, developed in cooperation with local contractors, is presented as an aid to translate the damage observations into an estimate of the cost of repairs. The limitations of these observations and the sources of bias are also discussed.