Helping the Nation Respond to Disasters

The U.S. Census Bureau produces timely local data that are critical to emergency planning, preparedness, and recovery efforts. 

Helping the Nation Respond to Disasters When a disaster hits, be it hurricanes, earthquakes or wildfires, knowing how many people live and work in the affected areas is crucial to recovery and rebuilding efforts. The Census Bureau produces timely local data that are critical to emergency planning, preparedness, and recovery efforts for all types of emergencies. Learn More Explore Emergency Management Resources The U.S. Census Bureau's OnTheMap for Emergency Management is a public data tool that provides a web-based interface to gauge the potential impact of disasters on the workforce and residents of a particular area. Users can gather detailed information on workers, population and housing characteristics for hurricanes, floods, wildfires, winter storms, and federal disaster declaration areas. Hurricane Zeta Heavy rainfall impacted portions of the central U.S. Gulf Coast into the southern Appalachians, and Mid-Atlantic States as a result of Zeta. Learn More Emergency Management The Census Bureau produces timely local data that are critical to emergency planning, preparedness, and recovery efforts. We track the impact of major floods, wildfires, hurricanes, pandemics,  earthquakes, and tornadoes. Learn More America Counts Stories Get the stories behind the numbers from the America Counts team. Read more about how disaster recovery efforts rely on Census Bureau data to tailor relief for affected homes and businesses. Learn how emergency planners use Census Bureau data to plan for natural disasters and other emergencies. See All Stories Growth on the Coast The growth in population of coastal areas illustrates the importance of emergency planning and preparedness for areas that are susceptible to hurricanes and flooding. Infographic   How Census Data Help the Nation Respond to Disasters Play DATA GEMS: How to Use the COVID-19 Data Hub Play Webinar: Taking the Pulse of U.S. Businesses Play Stats in Action: Infectious Diseases Play Fighting Fires With Data American Community Survey data was key to the city of New Orleans developing a mapping model that determines neighborhoods most likely to suffer fire fatalities and least likely to have smoke alarms. See how the city's Office of Performance and Accountability and the New Orleans Fire Department used Census Bureau data to save lives. Learn More Help us spread the word about Census Bureau data. Share this story on social media or forward it to a friend. Share This About the Census Bureau We serve as the nation's leading provider of quality data about its people and economy. The Census Bureau is the federal government's largest statistical agency. We are a scientific organization focused on data. Policy-makers, businesses, and the public use our information to make far-reaching decisions. Stay connected with us! Join the conversation on social media. SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: Subscriber Settings  |  Remove me from All Subscriptions  | Help