This book deals with the immediate effects of and response to Hurricane María on the social
ecological and technological systems (SETS) of Puerto Rico. The SETS approach to analyzing
hurricane effects places into historical context the role of social and technological factors
and compares social and ecological resilience on the same temporal scales. Written from the
perspective of a Puerto Rican scientist who experienced Maria's wrath first-hand the book uses
extensive empirical knowledge of the ecological effects of hurricanes on Caribbean forests and
combines that knowledge with a detailed analysis of the effects of Hurricane María on the
social and technological fabric of Puerto Rico. The comparison suggests that the effects of
extreme events are dictated not only by the strength of the physical event but also by the
conditions of affected SETS at the time when the event exerts influence over them. Moreover
SETS have historical legacies that influence howresilient they can be when affected by an
extreme event. Therefore preparation and response to extreme events require an integrated
social ecological and technological effort known as the SETS response. The SETS response
requires an understanding of the energetics of extreme events and their effects on the economy
which in turn determines social and technological resilience. Hurricane María demonstrated that
the social and technological systems of Puerto Rico were not adapted to dealing with extreme
events in contrast with the ecological systems which were. Hurricane María's effect on Puerto
Rico can be used as an example from which valuable lessons emerge for making SETS more
adaptable and resilient to extreme events.
