11/29/201

8

Slide 1

NWIRP Study of 

Hurricane Maria 

Impacts and Recovery 

in Puerto Rico

-

Goal 2: To characterize the impacts to and recovery of 

education and healthcare services

Maria Dillard, PhD

Research Social Scientist, Community Resilience Group

National Institute of Standards and Technology
11/29/2018

Slide 2

• To identify the underlying characteristics and conditions associated 

with recovery of critical social functions from Hurricane Maria in 

Puerto Rico and to examine the recovery trajectories of sampled 

schools and hospitals. 

• This project will also include investigation of the interdependencies of 

the broader community (e.g., households, businesses) and the social 

functions provided by schools and hospitals. 

Objective

Recovery of Social Functions
11/29/2018

Slide 3

Under the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act Reauthorization of 2015 

(Public Law 114-52), NIST is conducting a scientific study of Hurricane Maria’s 

impacts on Puerto Rico and subsequent recovery processes to characterize: 

1) The impacts to and recovery of small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs), as well 

as businesses in retail and service industries;

2) The impacts to and recovery of education and healthcare services;

3) The impacts to and recovery of infrastructure systems in Puerto Rico, with a focus on 

infrastructure that supports the functioning of critical buildings (i.e., hospitals and 

schools) and emergency communications. 

Goals 1 and 2 align to NWIRP Strategic Plan Goal B: Improve the Understanding of 

Windstorm Impacts on Communities

• Objective 7: Improve understanding of economic and social factors influencing windstorm 

risk reduction measures

• Objective 8: Develop tools to improve post-storm impact data collection, analysis, and 

archival

Background

Recovery of Social Functions
11/29/2018

Slide 4

• The NIST investigation will include 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

• For example, the Department of Education 

in Puerto Rico will close over 283 schools*

• Puerto Rico will receive nearly $600 million in 

emergency federal assistance for school 

recovery and rebuilding*

*Source: ABC News, https://abcnews.go.com/US/puerto-ricoschools-receive-500-million-283-schools/story?id=54846053

Background

Recovery of Social Functions

A FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in Puerto Rico
11/29/2018

Slide 5

Project methods include structured surveys of 

representatives of hospitals and school institutions 

within study area and semi-structured interviews 

• Survey data collection

• Longitudinal design

• Allows the same cases to be observed over time

• 3 waves of data collection, approximately 6 months between each wave

• Sampling unit: Organization

• Schools (K-12, public and private)

• Hospitals

• Sample in order to assess differences in recovery

• Geography

• Population characteristics (e.g., hospital & school size, public/private 

ownership)

• Degree of hazard exposure/impact

• Data collected to include: 

• Impacts of hazard on buildings and services

• Interdependencies 

• Response 

• Recovery of services

Preliminary Project Plan (1/3)

Recovery of Social Functions

Schools in Puerto Rico
11/29/2018

Slide 6

Sample from 

study area

School 

representatives

Survey at t1

Survey at t2

Survey at t3

Longitudinal 

analysis results 

for schools

Hospital 

representatives

Survey at t1

Survey at t2

Survey at t3

Longitudinal 

analysis results 

for hospitals

Preliminary Project Plan (2/3)

Recovery of Social Functions
11/29/2018

Slide 7

Independent Variables

Pre-existing 

state variables

Impact 

variables

Response 

variables

Control for

Initial 

vulnerabilities

Pre-existing 

conditions

Dependent Variable

Recovery state 

variable

• Composite of 

several 

recovery 

indicators

Preliminary Project Plan (3/3)

Recovery of Social Functions

• Recovery

• Repairs

• Function

• Access

• Service provision 

Modeling to consider the following 

variables:

• Pre-existing state

• Resilience characteristics – e.g., flexible decision 

making structures, economic security of the 

institution

• Initial vulnerability

• Impacts

• Physical – e.g., building damage, infrastructure 

damage

• Non-physical – e.g., population dislocation, 

impaired access, disruptions of school/work

• Interdependencies (infrastructure, households, 

businesses)

• Response 

• Resources (monetary and non-monetary)

• Plans in place

• Policies

• Decisions

• Delays
11/29/2018

Slide 8

• Developing a better understanding of our potential study area:

• Population characteristics

• Distribution of schools and hospitals

• Hazard impacts (building damage, deaths)

• Writing and submitting contract for survey and interview research 

services to NIST’s Acquisitions Management Division

• Identifying linkages between projects (e.g., overlapping samples, 

methods, analysis) 

• Collecting background data for schools and hospitals

• Lists of all public and private K-12 schools 

• Lists of all hospitals

• Preliminary data on closures

• Damage assessments

• Collection of data on institutional characteristics, e.g., size, staffing, services 

provided, operating budget

• Media coverage of impacts and flow of recovery assistance 

FY18 Progress Updates

Recovery of Social Functions
11/29/2018

Slide 9

• Develop draft sampling 

strategy for survey research

• Develop draft survey and 

interview instruments

• Award contract for survey 

and interview data collection

• Prepare packages for data 

collection instrument 

approvals • NIST’s Institutional Review 

Board 

• Office of Management and 

Budget’s Paperwork 

Reduction Act

Next Steps

Recovery of Social Functions

Hospitals in Puerto Rico