The population of the Gulf Coast grew twice as fast as the nation’s population between 1960 and 2008, according to a recently released US Census report on coastline populations, but the BP oil spill may change that trend.

Previous disasters, such as hurricanes that have hit the Gulf Coast, have affected population growth in coastal counties, the report stated.

After Hurricanes Andrew in 1992 and Opal in 1995, population in the affected coastal counties fell. However, population again grew by more than 20 percent in the following decade.

Recovery from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 has taken place more slowly, and the affected coastal counties have so far experienced a 2 percent loss in population, the report released May 26 said.

It is too early to know exactly how the damage from the BP oil spill will impact the population trend, said Robert Berstein, a public affairs specialist for the U.S. Census Bureau. Currently, more than 100 miles of coastline in Louisiana have been affected by the oil spill, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The US Census Bureau report, “Coastline Population Trends in the United States: 1960 to 2008,” calculated that the Gulf Coast area’s population grew by 150 percent in that 48-year period, while the nation’s population grew only by 70 percent.

In 2008, the Gulf Coast had a population of 14 million living in 56 counties in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.
For the past five years, Daniel Rothschild has directed the Gulf Coast Recovery Project to monitor the redevelopment of areas damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The project is organized by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

After Katrina, the return of social and economic entrepreneurs to the community has been essential to recovery from the storm’s damage, he said.

“The real key to effective rebuilding is really doing it from the bottom up, rather than the top down,” Rothschild said, referring to private enterprise, compared to government assistance.

Tom Clark, executive director of the Gulf Coast Education Initiative Consortium, said a growing number of casinos and business opportunities along the Gulf Coast has brought more families and money into the area.

In 2004, state-licensed casinos in Mississippi made $213 million in capital investments in the area. In 2007, casinos made $343 million in capital investments and provided 30,100 jobs.

“Before the casinos came in here, school buildings were getting crowded because of the influx of people and the casinos brought extra revenue to help build new schools,” Clark said.

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