StoryMap: Hurricanes Irma & Maria and Cultural Resources

Selected Damage and Ongoing Threats to Cultural Resources

The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season saw a total of 17 named storms, 7 tropical storms and 10 hurricanes. Three of those hurricanes - Harvey, Irma, and Maria - made landfall on the mainland U.S. or U.S. territories, causing tremendous destruction. Recovery continues, and preparedness for future storms and sea level rise will take many forms. Because of their geographic location, resources in Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are especially vulnerable to damage from wind and storm surge. This map includes a selection of damaged or threatened cultural resources in those three places.

The resources highlighted in this story map were documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS). Together the three programs are known as Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP). Since the establishment of HABS in the 1930s, the programs have been tasked with the responsibility to produce a record of important historic places, ranging from nationally significant sites to places valued by local communities. Documentation includes historical narratives, measured drawings, and large-format photography. Surveys are archived in the HABS/HAER/HALS Collection at the Library of Congress, which makes the documentation accessible online today and preserves it for future generations.

This story map was created by the Cultural Resources GIS Program.

Documented Resources Impacted by Hurricanes Irma and Maria (nps.gov)

To Use This Map:

You can navigate this map in-page or click “View full screen” to open in a larger window. To zoom in or out on a map, use the map controls or click directly on the map. To reset the map’s position, click on the 'Home' button (the little house). A drop-down legend is in the upper-right corner of the map. Clicking on highlighted text within the map will either take you to another view or link you to an external web page with additional information.