DORADO, Puerto Rico -- A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers blue roof installation for a Dorado, Puerto Rico residence allowed its owner to reoccupy portions that had not been usable after hurricanes Maria and Irma.

"At first, the house was going to be disqualified due to safety concerns," Chase G. Pattillo, an industrial hygienist deployed to the Dorado Emergency Field Office from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Wilmington District, said. "After we inspected it, we determined that there were safe methods to conduct the blue roof installation."

"We organized follow-up inspections with contractor project management, safety and quality control specialists and Corps quality assurance specialists," Pattillo said. "We were able to determine a safe and effective way to install the blue roof."

Owners could apply for blue roof program and complete rights-of-entry through January 10, and door-to-door canvassing was part of the effort to identify eligible residences. Quality control specialists confirmed whether applicants' residences met several criteria, which include structurally soundness and at least half of its substructure intact.

According to blue roof team members, the residence owner had previously been able to occupy only a small portion of his home. After the installation, he took time to pose for a photo with Corps employees and contractors.