Current research on community recovery from major natural disasters is hampered by the dearth of economic analyses of localities before and after such events. This project will measure the economic conditions of communities by using movements in the price of housing services over time. Approximately 100 communities will be examined, about one-half of which will have experienced a major natural disaster. Hedonic techniques will be used to monitor changes in the price of housing services which, according to theory, should be a sensitive indicator of local economic adjustment to a disaster. The changes over time in the price of housing services will be related to a variety of factors, including the local economic conditions unrelated to the disaster, the factors influencing aid distribution, the amount of economic aid, and the extent of the disaster.
