Businesses determined to rebound, as well as academics studying the business environment in the aftermath of a man-made or natural disaster must adopt techniques that might otherwise seem extraordinary. The chaos of the situation extant in the aftermath of a disaster forces managers and academics to take steps to get to the heart of the issues in minimal time. In these instances, time is not a luxury that they can enjoy; immediate situational awareness must be assessed and addressed. Moreover, as the business situation changes, and as resource availability and demand for goods and services fluctuates, business and academic monitors must have flexibility to adapt to the situation. An adaptive warfare-inspired approach to data gathering and fact-finding becomes imperative in these extraordinary situations. Key words: Hurricane Katrina, B.P. Oil Spill, non-traditional research.