Disaster Response & Resilience

Abt has extensive expertise and experience helping to prepare for, evaluate the impact of, and recover from disasters – hurricanes and oil spills among them. Our technical assistance and evaluation experts have: 

• Advised federal block grant grantees on needs analysis, design of recovery activities, stakeholder engagement, compliance with rules and regulations, and measurement and evaluation;
• Identified strategies to promote equity and address fair housing barriers in disaster recovery activities;
• Conducted rapid communications campaigns across large populations;
• Estimated the impact of storms on natural resources, human or natural infrastructure, and local economies;
• Monitored the environmental impact of chemical and biological contaminants;
• Worked to prevent and reduce the spread of mosquito-borne diseases, including malaria and Zika;
• Studied the effectiveness of programs to improve health care efficiency and quality; and
• Evaluated the effectiveness of federal block grant funding to support housing recovery in Louisiana and Mississippi following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Abt's Approach
Speed counts when anticipating or responding to a natural or man-made disaster. Abt offers comprehensive, nimble, and rapid support to federal agencies, regional organizations, states and other clients. We use a holistic approach to respond to and effectively manage health, social and environmental outcomes. 

DOMAIN EXPERTISE

• Environment
• Health
• Housing & Communities
• Technology
• Transportation
• Vulnerable Populations
• Workforce/Economic Impact

CAPABILITIES

• Communications
• Emergency and post-emergency monitoring and surveillance
• Hazard/risk assessment and mitigation
• Recovery planning, management, and evaluation
• Satellite, aerial, and drone-based remote mapping support
• Survey research and data management
• Technical assistance and implementation

Featured Projects

• The C5+1 Project to Help National Plan Climate Change Adaptation
• Climate Economic Analysis for Development, Investment and Resilience
• Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Assessment and Restoration Plan
• Disaster Assistance Grants Studies: Assessing the State of Housing Recovery Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
• Domestic Readiness Initiative on Zika Health Protection and Communication
• Emergency Response: Preventing the Transmission and Associated Health Effects of Mosquito-borne Disease
• Following Hurricane Harvey, Abt Helps Houston Build Fair Housing Into Its Recovery
• Human responses and survey research:
  • Impact of Joplin, Mo. tornadoes on adolescents
  • World Trade Center disaster psychological survey
  • Hurricane Katrina: Impacts on veterans, housing
  • Redirected Inbound Call Sampling (RICS) after Hurricane Harvey
• Hurricane Sandy: Evaluation of Coastal Recovery and Resiliency Projects
• National Disaster Medical System Response to Hurricane Katrina: Evaluation and Planning of Emergency Medical Facilities
• Recovering From Hurricanes Irma and Maria
• Republic of Tajikistan: Building Capacity for Climate Resilience
• Use of Satellite and Aerial Remote Sensing to Monitor Oil on Surface Water

For More Information
Contact Paul Anninos
301.634.1844