During scenarios of housing damage after a natural disaster, decision-making occurs under pressure to rebuild. The expediency associated with disruptive events and the corresponding time constraints for damage evaluation are compounded by a historical lack of allocated resources that can limit recovery and lead to undesired impacts (e.g., gentrification, forced migration). The objective of this study is to present a novel evaluation method for evaluating recovery progress using modern image analysis techniques. The application of low-cost drone imagery provides wider accessibility to equipment due to the lower cost, while enabling rapid data collection with dynamic analysis (e.g., multiple and iterative reviews). This study investigates the potential of tracking disaster debris build-up and visual repairs as recovery cues through a case study of the 2020 tornado in Tennessee. The validation of this approach supports the multi-attribute “blue roof” and debris build-up metric implementation for recovery evaluation to assist government decision-makers.
