Puerto Rico's pre-Maria condition and engineering needs discussed 5 months post-Maria

Prior to Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico was not in a great state of economics. The territory economy was in a notable deficit and public debt. The aged road and water infrastructure were prone to contamination issues when periods of high rainfall occurred. The territory electrical utilities had declared bankruptcy just a few months pre-Maria. Irma and Maria revealed the severity of the situation by calling attention to the deficits in preparation and risk mitigating actions. This perspective piece discussed the various areas of engineering need vulnerable to hurricane devastation, and what Puerto Rico needs to consider to build resilience to future hurricanes.

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Torres B. After María, Resilience in Puerto Rico: Why María had such a devastating impact—and how to mitigate future climate disaster. NACLA Report on the Americas. 2018 Jan 2;50(1):11-4. https://doi.org/10.1080/10714839.2018.1448583