Conclusion and 

Update on Hurricane Fiona

NCST Advisory Committee Meeting

June 14, 2023

Maria Dillard

Associate Team Lead
Data Collection Status: NCST Investigation Projects

Hazard 

Characterization

Performance 

of Critical 

Buildings

Public Response 

to Emergency 

Communications

Morbidity & 

Mortality

Subsequent slides present project-by-project status of data collection for NCST Investigation Projects

2
Objective: Document and understand wind environment and other hazards 

including storm surge, rainfall, flooding, and landslides

Data Collection Status:

Hazard Characterization

Wind Tunnel Testing 

of Topographic Models

University of Florida

Field Measurements of Winds 

on Cell Towers (2 years)

University of Florida / WeatherFlow

Meteorological Data for 

Wind Field Model

Applied Research Associates

Data on rainfall, storm surge, 

flooding and landslides

3
Objective: Evaluate how critical buildings performed (hospitals and shelters) 

– including dependence on electricity, water, and other infrastructure

Data Collection Status:

Performance of Critical Buildings

Phase 1: Document 

collection and review

Phase 2: Site visits 

and interviews

Expected Completion by Fall 2023

Facility Evaluations: 5 hospitals, 5 shelters

Wind Tunnel Testing 

of Two Hospitals

University of Florida

Stantec Consulting

4
Objective: Document role of emergency communications and public’s response 

– focusing on communications during and immediately after hurricane

Data Collection Status:

Public Response to Emergency Communications

Information Provider Interviews

Horsley Witten

Public Messages for

Qualitative Content Analysis

Household Surveys

Horsley Witten

Household Interviews

Horsley Witten

5
Objective: Better understand how damaged buildings, and failures in 

supporting infrastructure, played a role in injuries and deaths

Data Collection Status:

Morbidity and Mortality

Verbal Autopsy and 

Social Environmental Survey

GW-UPR

Medical Records and 

Hospital Functions Review

GW-UPR

Integrated Database of 

Deaths in Puerto Rico

GW-UPR

Spatial and Temporal Data

for Analysis of Deaths

GW-UPR

6
Data Collection Status: NWIRP Research Projects

Impacts to 

and Recovery of 

Infrastructure Systems

Recovery of 

Business and 

Supply Chains

Recovery of 

Social Functions

Subsequent slides present project-by-project status of data collection for NWIRP Research Projects

7
Objective: Evaluate dependencies of building function on infrastructure 

(power, water, and transportation) and causes of the loss of functionality and 

extended-duration outage of the wireless communication system

Data Collection Status:

Impacts to and Recovery of Infrastructure Systems

Structured Interviews on 

Infrastructure Dependencies

Horsley Witten

Expected Completion by Winter 2023/24

Satellite Remote-Sensing Data 

on Tree Canopy Cover

Transportation 

Incident Database

Aerial Imagery 

of Cell Towers

8
Objective: Study recovery of small- and medium-sized businesses (in 

manufacturing, retail, and service sectors) and supply chain disruption

Data Collection:

Recovery of Business and Supply Chains

Business Disruption and Recovery

Surveys of Small and 

Medium-Sized 

Manufacturers 

Horsley Witten

Surveys of Small and 

Medium-Sized Retail 

and Service 

Businesses 

Horsley Witten

Supply Chains

Interviews of Shipping 

and Transportation 

Representatives

Horsley Witten

9
Objective: Examine recovery of schools and hospitals, including physical 

repairs, services, and staffing

Data Collection Status:

Recovery of Social Functions

Wave 1 School Surveys

Horsley Witten

School Interviews

Horsley Witten

Expected Completion by Fall 2023

Wave 1 Hospital Surveys

Horsley Witten

Hospital Interviews

Horsley Witten

Expected Completion by Fall 2023

10
Expected Timeline: from June 2022

Phase 

1

• September 2017: Hurricane Maria occurs

• December 2017: Preliminary reconnaissance

• February 2018: Team established under NCST Act

Phase 

2

• May 2018: Initial briefing to NCSTAC on investigation plans

• February 2019 through September 2020: Supporting contracts awarded

• January 2021: Progress report published

• Data collection

Phase 

3

• Data analysis

• Development of findings and recommendations 

Phase 

4

• Draft final report written

• Internal and interagency review

• Draft final report released for public comment 

Phase 

5

• Final report revised

• Final report and associated data published

June 2022:

Data collection in full swing

Summer 2023:

Data collection complete, data 

analysis well underway

Summer 2024:

Data analysis and report writing 

complete, review process well 

underway

11
Expected Timeline: June 2023 Update

Phase 

1

• September 2017: Hurricane Maria occurs

• December 2017: Preliminary reconnaissance

• February 2018: Team established under NCST Act

Phase 

2

• May 2018: Initial briefing to NCSTAC on investigation plans

• February 2019 through September 2020: Supporting contracts awarded

• January 2021: Progress report published

• Data collection

Phase 

3

• Data analysis

• Development of findings and recommendations 

Phase 

4

• Draft final report written

• Internal and interagency review

• Draft final report released for public comment 

Phase 

5

• Final report revised

• Final report and associated data published

Fall 2024: Data analysis and 

draft reports complete

June 2023: Completion of 

NCST data collection expected 

by end of summer, data 

analysis well underway

Winter 2024/25: Internal review 

process underway

12
• NIST’s Engineering Laboratory received $40M in additional funding through a 

disaster supplemental appropriation “...for the development of resilience standards 

with regard to weather and climate disasters, and for necessary expenses to carry 

out investigations of building failures pursuant to the National Construction Safety 

Team Act of 2002”.

• These funds will support extension of the HM Program to consider impacts of 

Hurricane Fiona, including:

− Hazard Characterization: Assessment of the hazard, specifically wind and rainfall

− Critical Building Performance: Evaluation of Hurricane Fiona’s impacts on hospitals and shelters 

selected for evaluation in the Hurricane Maria NCST Investigation

− Recovery of Infrastructure: Assessment of impacts on infrastructure systems and their 

interdependencies (e.g., power, water, transportation) 

− Recovery of Social Functions: Evaluation of physical and non-physical impacts of Hurricane 

Fiona as well as effects on recovery from Hurricane Maria

• Observations from Hurricane Fiona are expected to provide context to inform 

recommendations from the Hurricane Maria NCST Investigation

Update on Hurricane Fiona

13
Hurricane Fiona

The Team has begun the assessment of impacts through:

• Incorporating Hurricane Fiona-related interview questions 

into ongoing Phase 2 evaluations of selected shelters and 

hospitals for the Critical Buildings Project

− Data Collection in progress

• Incorporating Hurricane Fiona impact assessment into 

Wave 2 Survey of Schools and Hospitals for the Recovery of 

Social Functions Project, along with questions about the 

effect of Hurricane Fiona on recovery from Hurricane Maria

− IRB and OMB/PRA Approvals obtained March 2023

− Data Collection began May 2023

Hurricane Fiona: Progress

14
Hurricane Fiona

Since the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriation Act passed 

in December 2022, the Team has allocated funds for: 

• Extending staffing via NIST’s Professional Research Experience 

Program (PREP) to support rainfall analysis for Hurricane Fiona 

and comparisons with Hurricane Maria

• Initiation of a new procurement for a contractor to support the 

development of a wind-field model for Hurricane Fiona

• Initiation of a new procurement for a contractor to support 

preparation and delivery of technical reports that provide findings 

and recommendations regarding the impacts of Hurricane Maria 

on Puerto Rico, as well as the impacts of Hurricane Fiona on the 

long-term recovery. 

Hurricane Fiona: Progress

15
Questions?

Joe Main, Ph.D.

Team Lead

joseph.main@nist.gov

Maria Dillard, Ph.D.

Associate Team Lead

maria.dillard@nist.gov

www.nist.gov/topics/disaster-failure-studies/hurricane-maria