This paper analyzes and assesses the success and failures of the implemented methods of two mailed survey research projects conducted in post-Katrina New Orleans. Mailed survey research is an essential part of the recovery process following a major disaster in which people have been displaced. A survey can provide insight into how many residents intend to return to the area as well as resident needs and concerns. Traditional methods alone are inadequate in a post-disaster setting and supplemental measures must be taken. The collected data from a survey in this setting will be unrepresentative of the pre-disaster population. Spatial analysis of the response combined with a comparison of the collected data to known census data identifies the ways in which the data is unrepresentative. Knowledge of the data shortcomings increases its utility in planning and recovery efforts in the affected region.