NIST Maria report urges resilience, signaling costs and contracts ahead
The preliminary findings from the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Hurricane Maria investigation point to sweeping vulnerabilities in Puerto Rico’s infrastructure and emergency systems, and are expected to influence construction codes, insurance practices and public safety planning.
Launched in 2018, the ongoing federal study seeks to understand how the built environment responded to the Category 4 storm that devastated the island in 2017. The early findings stress the need for major updates to infrastructure design, building standards and emergency preparedness across sectors including health care, energy and communications.
According to NIST, Puerto Rico’s mountainous terrain contributed to dangerous wind accelerations exceeding 200 mph in some regions, compounding the damage caused by rainfall that reached 30 inches in certain areas. These factors triggered widespread structural failures, landslides, flooding and service outages.
“The findings could help update building codes and standards to enhance the resilience of buildings and infrastructure,” the agency stated, signaling potential regulatory changes for Puerto Rico’s construction industry.
The report identified major data-collection gaps during the storm. Of 22 weather stations on the island, only three remained fully functional. The lack of real-time information hindered damage assessments and emergency response, the agency said, calling for investments in weather-monitoring and communications infrastructure.
NIST also studied the performance of five hospitals and shelters, finding weaknesses that disrupted patient care and emergency services. The findings emphasize the importance of resilient design, including standby generators for elevators and air conditioning, to maintain continuity during future disasters.
“Communities can reduce the impacts of hurricanes by making their buildings and infrastructure more resilient, upgrading emergency preparedness plans to reflect local risks, and strengthening evacuation and communication protocols,” the agency said.
The insurance industry is also likely to be affected. NIST’s analysis of wind amplification tied to topography could reshape risk models and drive up premiums for properties in high-risk zones. Developers and lenders may face stricter expectations for disaster readiness in proposed projects.
Though the final report is not expected until 2026, the early recommendations already outline steps to address key vulnerabilities. These include:
- New building standards to account for faster winds caused by mountains and hills.
- New standards for storm shelters and refuge areas.
- Measures that will help hospitals and other critical facilities maintain services during and after hurricanes, such as requiring standby generators for elevators and air-conditioning.
- Guidance on recording damage to communications systems in a way that will prioritize recovery.
- More robust tools for measuring wind, rainfall and flooding.
- New standards for issuing death certificates during an emergency.
Based on hundreds of interviews and field surveys, the findings offer a roadmap for long-term investments in infrastructure resilience and disaster response.
NIST officials stressed that the cost of inaction could be high, but also pointed to opportunities for innovation and public-private collaboration.
