NWIRP Research Study of 

Hurricane Maria (Puerto Rico)

Recovery of Social Functions Project

Project Leader: Maria Dillard

Objective: To examine the recovery trajectories of sampled 

schools and hospitals in order to identify characteristics and 

conditions associated with recovery of critical social functions 

from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

NCST Advisory Committee Meeting, June 10

-11, 2021
Slide 2

• The NIST Hurricane Maria Program^ includes a project focused on the recovery of education and 

healthcare services associated with critical buildings (schools and hospitals) in Puerto Rico.

• Both education and healthcare services are an important part of understanding the impacts of 

Hurricane Maria, as well as the long term recovery of Puerto Rico.

• This project will be used to support the development of a methodology to assess community-scale 

resilience.

• The focus is on empirical relationships between social functions and physical systems with an aim to 

identify predictors of recovery outcomes.

• The project relies on a foundational understanding of social functions and buildings and 

infrastructure systems as linked.*

^Under the NIST Hurricane Maria Program, NIST Is conducting a NCST investigation and a NWIRP study. 

*NIST SP 1190 2016. https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.1190v1.pdf All photos credited to NIST. 

Background & Motivation
Slide 3

Background: Study Areas

• Includes 4 

regions common 

across all NIST 

Hurricane Maria 

Program projects: 

– San Juan Region

– Utuado Region

– Caguas Region

– Humacao Region

• Additionally, 

includes the 

municipio of 

Mayagüez where 

Hospital Bella 

Vista is located
Slide 4

Sample for 

surveys 

n = 410

Sample for 

interviews

n = 30

Schools

n = 365

25 minutes avg.

Survey at t1

Interviews at t1

n = ~27

60 min avg. 

Survey at t2

Survey at t3

Hospitals 

n = 45

25 minutes avg.

Survey at t1

Interviews at t1

n = ~3

60 min avg. 

Survey at t2

Survey at t3

Project Plans: Study Design

Longitudinal Study Design with Data Collection at 3 Time Points (t1, t2, t3)
Slide 5

Project Plans: Sample Design

5

H H H H H

H H H H H

H H H H H

H H H H H

H H H H H

H H H H H

ZIP codes selected

H H H H H

H H H H H

H H H H H

ZIP codes without hospitals

+

ZIP codes selected

ZIP codes with hospitals

Z Z Z Z Z Z

Z Z Z Z Z Z

Z Z Z Z Z Z

Z Z Z Z Z Z

Z Z Z Z Z Z

Z Z Z Z Z Z

Z Z Z Z Z Z

Z Z Z Z Z Z

Z Z Z Z Z Z

Z Z Z Z Z Z

Z Z Z Z Z Z

Z Z Z Z Z Z

Z

71 ZIP codes 

without 

Hospitals

10 ZIP codes for the 

”linking” hospitals

20 ZIP codes with 

other hospitals
Slide 6

NWIRP Recovery Projects Sample Distribution 

6

Sampling unit Proportion of total sample in each category

ZIP Code 

Areas

“Linking” 

Hospitals

Other 

Hospitals

Schools Manufacturing Retail and 

Services

“Linking” 

Hospitals

10 100% 26% 23% 21% 20%

Other 

Hospitals

20 74% 25% 22% 29%

NonHospital

73 53% 58% 51%

Recent Progress 1/4
Slide 7

• Monthly and task specific meetings with survey and interview research 

services contractor since March 2020

• Executed change of data collection modes due to COVID-19

• Obtained required approvals for pilot tests and Wave 1 survey 

o NIST’s Institutional Review Board (Dec 2020); PR Department of Education (March 2021)

• Pilot test (1) for hospital survey complete (Feb 2021)

• Substantial revisions to both hospital and school surveys following pilot test (1)

o Reduced length

o Reduced cognitive burden – e.g., minimized comparisons across time

• Pilot test (2) for school survey in progress 

o Self-administered and interviewer versions of school survey programmed (April 2021)

o Pilot training with data collectors (May 2021)

Recent Progress 2/4

In person 

+ Phone Phone Phone + Web
Slide 8

Recent Progress 3/4

Temporary hospital facilities in Puerto Rico

A school in Puerto Rico

Recovery Progress 1 year after HM 2 years after HM 

(before COVID)

Recovery of service Mean (Standard Deviation) Mean (Standard Deviation) 

Percentage of clinical services 

restored

90% (22% SD) 98% (14% SD)

Percentage of transportation 

services restored

50% (50% SD) 50% (50% SD)

Percentage of support 

services restored

95% (11% SD) 98% (4% SD)

Percentage of community 

services restored

63% (45% SD) 63% (45% SD)

Recovery of physical 

structure

Mean (Standard Deviation) Mean (Standard Deviation) 

Percentage of repairs of the 

physical structure complete

97% (4% SD) 100% (0% SD)

Notes: Results of pilot test only; n = 6

All photos credited to NIST. 

Example of pilot test results for hospitals: 
Slide 9

Current Survey Sections: 

• Services and resources before and after Hurricane Maria

• Damage and disruption caused by the hurricane, such as those 

pertaining to buildings, utilities, and transportation

• Non-physical damage, such as employee well-being

• Repair and recovery process from the hurricane, including insurance 

and financial recovery assistance

• Actions the [school/hospital] is taking to prepare for future events

Current Time Periods:

Recent Progress 4/4

Before 

Hurricane 

Maria

2 weeks after 

Hurricane 

Maria (deaths 

and injuries)

1 year after 

Hurricane 

Maria

2 years after 

Hurricane 

Maria
Slide 10

• Analyze pilot data and make final 

survey revisions

• Obtain remaining approvals for 

Wave 1 survey and interview

o Office of Management and Budget’s 

Paperwork Reduction Act

• Launch full survey and interview 

data collection for Wave 1

• Develop Wave 2 survey

All photos credited to NIST. 

Next Steps

Hospitals in Puerto Rico
NWIRP Research Study of 

Hurricane Maria (Puerto Rico)

Recovery of Social Functions Project

Project Leader: Maria Dillard

Project Team: Jarrod Loerzel (NIST), Kelly Jean Anderson (PREP 

Research Associate, University of Maryland)

Questions?

Please ‘raise your hand’ using the Blue Jeans 

Participant window and unmute your audio and 

NCST Advisory Committee Meeting, June 10

video

-11, 2021