Puerto Rico shoreline changes after Hurricane Maria heighten flood risks

Changes to Puerto Rico's coastline post-Hurricane Maria makes some areas more at risk for coastal flooding, a new report found.

Changes to Puerto Rico's coastline post-Hurricane Maria stand to make communities more prone to flooding, according to a new study.

An estimated 99 kilometers (62 miles) of Puerto Rico's shoreline has moved inland as of July 2018, according to a recent report by the Coastal Research and Planning Institute of Puerto Rico.

Hurricane Maria, a strong Category 4 hurricane, made landfall on Sept. 20, 2017, devastating the U.S. territory.

Researchers also identified 58.19 kilometers (36.2 miles) of dry beaches that have migrated inland.

The map they built shows multiple events of coastal erosion and accretion along the island's beach planes, resulting in a new shore.