RAND Experts Available to Discuss Hurricane Season, Natural Disaster Recovery

June 1 marks the traditional start of hurricane season on the Gulf Coast. This year, forecasters are predicting a comparatively mild season. However, the region continues to recover from past natural disasters, including tornadoes, floods and the lingering effects of Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

The RAND Corporation and its RAND Gulf States Policy Institute have several experts available to discuss the continuing efforts to respond to these natural disasters, how multiple disasters complicate the recovery process, and how residents of the region are coping with continuing exposure to weather-related risks.

Joie Acosta, behavioral scientist at RAND. Topics: The need for comprehensive disaster case-management planning; how community resilience factors into national health security; the role of non-governmental agencies in disaster resilience.

Anita Chandra, behavioral scientist at RAND. Topics: Community resilience, why an "all-hazards" approach to disaster preparedness planning and effective local planning is critical; the role of non-governmental organizations in helping people recover from disasters over the long-term; why it takes people so long to fully recover from a natural disaster.

Lloyd Dixon, senior economist at RAND. Topics: the need for wind and flood insurance reform; how federal flood insurance coverage affects development in areas at risk for flooding.

Jordan Fischbach, associate policy researcher at RAND. Topics: how nonstructural measures—such as incentives for home elevation, incentives for relocation to lower-risk areas, and restrictions on the use of floodplain land—can make cities like New Orleans less vulnerable to flooding.

Lisa Jaycox, senior behavioral scientist at RAND. Topics: Mental health impact of disasters, particularly among youth, and interventions that can alleviate disaster-related distress among youth and adults.

David Groves, policy researcher at RAND. Topics: Developing comprehensive long-term strategies for hurricane flood risk reduction and coastal landscape sustainability under uncertainty; Climate adaptation planning in coastal regions and for water resources agencies.

Debra Knopman, director of RAND Infrastructure, Safety, and Environment. Topics: Water resources development and management, coastal protection and restoration; infrastructure investments; energy and environment.

Sally Sleeper, director of research for the RAND Gulf States Policy Institute. Topics: New and ongoing RAND research throughout the region; how RAND Gulf States continues to build on its partnerships with universities and other organizations to offer evidence-based, objective policy solutions.

Ben Springgate, affiliated adjunct behavioral scientist at RAND and director of health for RAND Gulf States. Topics: Current evidence regarding population health and mental health concerns and health care infrastructure recovery/developments since Hurricane Katrina and the recent oil spill.