Mitigation Assessment Team Report Hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico Building Performance, Observations, Recommendations, and Technical Guidance

In response to Hurricanes Irma and Maria, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) deployed a Mitigation Assessment Team (MAT) to evaluate damage, document observations, and, based on these, offer conclusions and recommendations on the performance of buildings and other structures affected by wind forces, flooding, and other hazards due to the hurricanes. The MAT included FEMA Headquarters and Regional Office engineers, representatives from other Federal agencies, government officials from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and experts from academia and the design and construction industries. The conclusions and recommendations in this report are intended to provide decision makers, designers, contractors, planners, code officials, industry groups, government officials, academia, homeowners, and business owners and operators with information and technical guidance that can be used to reduce future hurricane damage.