hurricane maria death toll

Hospitals Wrestle With Shortages of Drug Supplies Made in Puerto Rico", "Hospitals find other ways to deliver medicine amid IV bag shortage", "Hurricane Damage To Manufacturers In Puerto Rico Affects Mainland Hospitals, Too", "Explosion At Substation Plunges Parts Of Puerto Rico Into Darkness Once Again", "Puerto Rico capital hit by power blackout for second day in a row", "Another major blackout hits Puerto Rico after 2 power plants shut down", "BREAKING: A massive power outage is being reported across Puerto Rico, from the southern part of the island to the north. [191], Politico compared the federal response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico to that for Hurricane Harvey, which had hit the greater Houston area of Texas a month earlier. Hurricane Maria; Puerto Rico Has Finally Acknowledged That Over 1,400 People Likely Died Because Of Hurricane Maria. When President Donald Trump visited Puerto Rico on October 3, he praised Hurricane Maria's relatively low death toll -- then 16. [148], On September 24, the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge and the dock landing ship USS Oak Hill under Rear Admiral Jeffrey W. Hughes along with the 2,400 marines of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit arrived to assist in relief efforts. [189] On November 5, more than 100,000 people had left Puerto Rico for the mainland. The original count had languished under a cloud of skepticism ever since it was announced by Puerto Ricos Department of Public Safety in December 2017. [137], Elaine Duke, who was, at the time, the acting Secretary of Homeland Security, recalled years later that President Trump suggested "selling" Puerto Rico in the aftermath of the hurricane. The islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique endured widespread flooding, damaged roofs, and uprooted trees. [74] The disaster affected all of the island's 53 health facilities, including the badly damaged primary hospital, compromising the safety of many patients. [83] Along those regions, the hurricane kicked up extremely rough seas with 20 ft (6 m) waves. Investigations iton the hurricane's aftermath suggested a wide variety of possible death tolls. [122] USS Wasp, previously deployed to Saint Martin to assist in relief efforts after Hurricane Irma, arrived in Dominica on September 22. Survivors recalled “a great gray wall about 50-feet high and moving slowly toward the island” in oral histories archived in the city’s Rosenberg Library. [201] Excluding those affected by the second blackout, more than 200,000 people remained without power following Maria, on March 2, 2018. U.S territory • Puerto Rico • Death toll controversy [85] Aside from wind-related effects, rainfall from Maria was also significant. [62][61] Streets in Fort-de-France were inundated. The Puerto Rican government has previously said the official death toll is 64. It concluded that the U.S. military itself performed as well in Puerto Rico as it does in its international relief missions, and that coordination had been greatly improved since Katrina, but that real shortcomings exist in planning for disasters. Cascading outages affected areas powered by substations in Villa Betina and Quebrada Negrito. There's a humanitarian emergency here in Puerto Rico. A month after the hurricane, most hospitals were open,[138] but most were on backup generators that provide limited power. [168], On September 28, 2017, Lieutenant General Jeffrey S. Buchanan was dispatched to Puerto Rico to lead all military hurricane relief efforts there and to see how the military could be more effective in the recovery effort, particularly in dealing with the thousands of containers of supplies that were stuck in port because of "red tape, lack of drivers, and a crippling power outage". [88], Two weeks after Hurricane Irma hit St. Thomas and St. John as a Category 5 hurricane, Hurricane Maria's weaker outer eyewall was reported by the National Hurricane Center to have crossed Saint Croix while the hurricane was at Category 5 intensity. [18] On September 28, a trough that was beginning to emerge off the Northeastern United States swung Maria eastward out to sea, while also weakening to a tropical storm. [260], After visiting Puerto Rico about two months after the hurricane, Refugees International issued a report that severely criticized the slow response of the federal authorities, noted poor coordination and logistics, and indicated the island was still in an emergency mode and in need of more help. This is an event without precedent. [85] Two people disappeared at sea after their vessel capsized offshore La Désirade, east of mainland Grande-Terre,[86] and they are presumed to be dead afterwards. [99], Storm surge and flash flooding—stemming from flood gate releases at La Plata Lake Dam—converged on the town of Toa Baja, trapping thousands of residents. Puerto Rican travelers often chose to go to Orlando, Miami, New York City, and Atlanta. The territory announced earlier in 2018 that it would privatize its power system over its "deficient service. Moving slowly to the north, Maria gradually degraded and weakened to a tropical storm on September 28. The US territory's government has for months kept the official death toll at 64, despite plenty of evidence to the contrary. FEMA reported 60,000 homes needed roofing help, and had distributed 38,000 roofing tarps. With the median age of PREPA power plants at 44 years, an aging infrastructure across the island made the electric grid more susceptible to damage from storms. Communications were largely lost across the island. FEMA does not rebuild homes to which the owner has no title, which has presented a major obstacle for many Puerto Ricans, who may have erected structures on family plots without procuring legal paperwork beforehand. [180], On October 9, 2017, the United States Postal Service stated that 99 of its 128 offices were delivering packages and mail to residents, albeit some were working out of tents[181] and their offices had no power for one week after the hurricane. Researchers have figured out that as many as 4,640 people died in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria pummeled the country in September 2017. The death toll of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico has jumped from 64 to nearly 3,000 after an official report was released. You know, or divest of that asset?" Chan School of Public Health, a native of Puerto Rico, was hearing dire reports of death and destruction from friends and family on the island. [210], As of January 2019, the Department of Housing and Urban Development had allocated nearly $20 billion in grants to aid Puerto Rico's reconstruction. [81] The agricultural sector, a vital source of income for the country, was completely wiped out: 100% of banana and tuber plantations was lost, as well as vast amounts of livestock and farm equipment. [7] Periodic bursts of convection near the center managed to maintain Maria's intensity as it accelerated east-northeast across the northern Atlantic Ocean, but interaction with an encroaching frontal zone ultimately resulted in the storm becoming an extratropical cyclone on September 30,[19] which continued east-northeastward, before dissipating on October 2. [220][221] There were 238 more reported deaths in September and October 2017 than during the same months in 2016, and 336 more compared to September and October 2015. This change in size caused the area exposed to high-intensity winds on the island to be far greater. [263] and less than a month later Trump described the federal response to Hurricane Maria as "an incredible, unsung success ... the best job we did was Puerto Rico [compared to hurricanes in Texas and Florida] but nobody would understand that". [32] Dominion North Carolina Power and Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative experienced scattered power outages. [145] By October 3, there were 39 commercial flights per day from all Puerto Rican airports, about a quarter of the normal number. [205] In addition, 10% of mortgage holders in Puerto Rico were delinquent at the time (compared to 5.8% on the mainland), an indication of the fragile state of the local economy. [269], San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz said one week before the blackout that about 700,000 Americans in Puerto Rico didn't have power after a line repaired by Montana contracting firm Whitefish Energy had failed. The gusty winds pushed the water south, washing away homes and eventually killing as many as 3,000 people, according to Palm Beach County History Online. Two other people, a woman and a man, died in Cornillon, a small town 40 km (25 mi) east of the capital Port-au-Prince, according to the authorities. [32][33] Schools in Currituck County were closed on September 27, due to high winds. Nearly nine months after Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico, nobody knows how many people died because of it. A charity called Light Up Puerto Rico raised money to both purchase and deliver solar products, including solar panels, on Oct. Total losses from the hurricane are estimated at upwards of $91.61 billion (2017 USD), mostly in Puerto Rico, ranking it as the third-costliest tropical cyclone on record. [26], Still recovering from Hurricane Irma two weeks prior, approximately 80,000 remained without power as Maria approached. [146] The next day, airports were reported to be operating at normal capacity. [204] Compounding the problem in rebuilding the housing infrastructure is the fact that only about 50% of houses in Puerto Rico were covered by insurance policies that protect against wind damage, meaning that homeowners were reliant on their own money, FEMA, or other charities rather than insurance proceeds for rebuilding. The Category 4 hurricane was the worst natural disaster ever to strike the United States territory and the third costliest storm on record, having caused an estimated $90 billion in damage. [74] The air control towers and terminal buildings of the Canefield and Douglas Charles airports were severely damaged, although the runways remained relatively intact and open to emergency landings. Writing on Twitter, Trump claimed that "3000 people did not die in the two hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico", but that the Democrats had inflated the official death toll to "make me look as bad as possible". [207] FEMA has added three new warehouses on Puerto Rico, and pre-positioned emergency power generators at hospitals and water pump stations. [94] The coastal La Perla neighborhood of San Juan was largely destroyed. Even before government officials locked the Hurricane Maria death toll in at 64, statistics-based estimates by a number of different sources indicated that the actual total could to… Updated 7:33 PM ET, Tue May 29, 2018 . [51] The agricultural sector, especially the banana industry, suffered losses from the winds. Buildings in Grand Bay, the parish's main settlement, experienced total roof failure or were otherwise structurally compromised. Research project seeks more accurate Hurricane Maria death toll data in Puerto Rico. [95] In addition, heavy rainfall occurred throughout the territory, peaking at 37.9 inches (962.7 mm) in Caguas. [271], On April 11, 2018, at the 40th session of the Regional Association Hurricane Committee, the World Meteorological Organization retired the name Maria from its rotating name lists, due to the highly extensive amount of damage and loss of life it caused along its path, especially in Dominica, Saint Croix, and Puerto Rico, and it will never again be used to name an Atlantic hurricane. He compared the damage from Hurricane Maria to that of Hurricane Katrina, saying: "If you looked—every death is a horror, but if you look at a real catastrophe like Katrina, and you look at the tremendous hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people that died, and you look at what happened here with really a storm that was just totally overbearing, nobody has seen anything like this ... What is your death count as of this morning, 17?". [198] On February 11, an explosion and fire damaged a power substation in Monacillo,[199] causing a large blackout in northern parts of the island including San Juan, Trujillo Alto, Guaynabo, Carolina, Caguas, and Juncos. Survivors indicate that flood waters rose at least 6 ft (1.8 m) in 30 minutes, with flood waters reaching a depth of 15 feet (4.6 m) in some areas. FEMA rejected their claims", "Trump White House stonewalls as Puerto Rico aid runs dry", "Puerto Rico's leaders slam Trump administration for opposing food assistance funding", "Ascertainment of the Estimated Excess Mortality from Hurricane María in Puerto Rico", "Puerto Rico governor raises Hurricane Maria death toll from 64 to 2,975", "Everything that's been reported about deaths in Puerto Rico is at odds with the official count", "Puerto Rico reports increase in overall deaths after storm", "We surveyed 112 Puerto Rican funeral homes to check the accuracy of the hurricane death toll. [110][111], The nearby island of Vieques suffered similarly extensive damage. A brutal storm first hit Puerto Rico then Palm Springs, Fla., in September 1928. By John D. Sutter and Leyla Santiago, CNN. In response to three lawsuits, including one from CNN and Puerto Rico's Center for Investigative Journalism, the Government of Puerto Rico released updated death statistics for the months following Hurricane Maria. Flooding and landslides rendered many roads impassable, cutting off 38 communities. September 28, 2018 – After Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017, statistician and genomics expert Rafael Irizarry of Harvard T.H. Coffee was the worst affected crop, with 18 million coffee trees destroyed, which will require about five to ten years to bring back at least 15% of the coffee production of the island. Significant spikes in causes of deaths compared to the two preceding Septembers included sepsis (+47%), pneumonia (+45%), emphysema (+43%), diabetes (+31%), and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's (+23%). [40], Rainfall ahead of the hurricane caused several landslides in Dominica, as water levels across the island began to rise by the afternoon of September 18. Approximately 60,000 people lost power in northern areas of the country. [58] In the seaside commune of Le Carbet, rough seas washed ashore large rocks and demolished some coastal structures,[58][63] while some boats were blown over along the bay of the commune of Schœlcher. [239] The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not immediately waive the Jones Act for Puerto Rico, which prevented the commonwealth from receiving any aid and supplies from non-U.S.-flagged vessels from U.S. ports (shipments from non-US ports was unaffected). [38] Damage from Maria across Guadeloupe amounted to at least €100 million (US$120 million). The value only accounted for reported deaths, and with limitations to communication, the actual toll could have been even higher. [47], In the wake of the hurricane, more than 85% of the island's houses were damaged, of which more than 25% were completely destroyed, leaving more than 50,000 of the island's 73,000 residents to be displaced. [39], Maria brushed the Outer Banks of North Carolina on September 26, as the center of the storm passed by offshore and brought tropical storm conditions to the area, along with a storm surge, large waves, and rip currents to the coast. The effort to collect the deceased and dump them in the Gulf failed, as corpses "were everywhere" and washed back ashore, according to NPR. [266] Governor Rosselló subsequently ordered an audit of the contract's budget. I know many Puerto Ricans. [214][215]'[dubious – discuss], The deaths of 64 people were initially directly attributed to the hurricane by the government of Puerto Rico.[218]. Further, there have been accusations that FEMA policies have been applied unfairly. [112], The former survey ship Ferrel, carrying a family of four, issued a distress signal while battling 20-foot seas (6.1 m) and 115 mph winds (185 km/h) on September 20. [24], Prior to both Hurricanes Irma and Maria, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), already struggling with increasing debt, had seen budget cuts imposed by PROMESA as well as the loss of 30 percent of its work force since 2012. [134], On September 26, 2017, 95% of the island was without power, less than half the population had tap water, and 95% of the island had no cell phone service. A dozen commercial flights operated daily, as of September 26, 2017. Virus … "[248], Mayor Cruz criticized the federal response on September 29 during a news conference. Puerto Rico's electric grid has suffered in the months since Hurricane Maria struck the island. [144], The entirety of Puerto Rico was declared a Federal Disaster Zone shortly after the hurricane. [195] This caused a months long shortage in medical supplies in the United States, especially of IV bags. [158], On September 29, the hospital ship USNS Comfort left port at Norfolk, Virginia to help victims of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, and arrived in San Juan on October 3. Highly favorable environmental conditions allowed the storm to undergo explosive intensification as it approached the island arc. [74] The port and fishing town of Marigot, Saint Andrew Parish, was 80% damaged. Scores of people who survived the hurricane's initial onslaught later died from complications in its aftermath. An estimated 2,975 people died in Puerto Rico in the five months after Hurricane Maria devastated the island last September, a far higher number than the government's official death toll count of … The new death toll has refocused complaints that federal authorities have not done enough to help struggling Puerto Ricans. Officials in Puerto Rico now say 2,975 people died following Hurricane Maria - a devastating storm that struck the US island territory in September 2017. In just a day, the hurricane dropped nearly a month's worth of rainfall at some important locations: Pointe-à-Pitre recorded a 24-hour total of 7.5 inches (191 mm), while the capital of Basse-Terre measured 6.4 in (163 mm). A new study says the Hurricane Maria death toll in Puerto Rico was close to 3,000. [7], Upon the initiation of the National Hurricane Center (NHC)'s first advisories for the system that would become Tropical Storm Maria on the morning of September 16, the government of France issued tropical storm watches for the islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe, while St. Lucia issued a tropical storm watch for its citizens, and the government of Barbados issued a similar watch for Dominica. [149][150][151][152] By September 24, there were thirteen United States Coast Guard ships deployed around Puerto Rico assisting in the relief and restoration efforts: the National Security Cutter USCGC James; the medium endurance cutters USCGC Diligence, USCGC Forward, USCGC Venturous, and USCGC Valiant; the fast response cutters USCGC Donald Horsley, USCGC Heriberto Hernandez, USCGC Joseph Napier, USCGC Richard Dixon, and USCGC Winslow W. Griesser; the coastal patrol boat USCGC Yellowfin; and the seagoing buoy tenders USCGC Cypress and USCGC Elm. Estimates range from the government’s official toll … [69] Initial ham radio reports from the capital of Roseau on September 19 indicated "total devastation," with half the city flooded, cars stranded, and stretches of residential area "flattened". [130] The Federal Emergency Management Agency planned to open an air bridge with three to four aircraft carrying essential supplies to the island daily starting on September 22. [160][161] Governor Rosselló explained on or about October 17 that "The disconnect or the apparent disconnect was in the communications flow" and added "I asked for a complete revision of that so that we can now start sending more patients over there. Hurricane Maria, experts grew increasingly concerned over how officials were recording the deaths when the Puerto Rican government’s death toll count stayed at 64 "Oxfam rarely responds to humanitarian emergencies in the US and other wealthy countries, but as the situation in Puerto Rico worsens and the federal government's response continues to falter, we have decided to step in. "[270], Cruiseline French America Line claimed to be working with Whitefish Energy, and that their boat the "Louisiane" would serve as "headquarters for relief services" after Hurricane Maria. [59] The commune of Le Marigot recorded 6.7 inches (170 mm) of rain over a 24-hour period. [196][197] Small IV bags often come pre-filled with saline or common drugs in solution, and have forced health care providers to scramble behind the scenes for alternative methods of drug delivery. [58][62] Numerous roads and streets, especially along the northern coast, were impassible due to rock slides, fallen trees and toppled power poles. [53][54] Maria stirred up rough seas that flooded coastal sidewalks in Bridgetown and damaged boats as operators had difficulties securing their vessels. The US has more than enough resources to mobilize an emergency response, but has failed to do so in a swift and robust manner. These are the five deadliest hurricanes in American history: The deadliest storm in American history, the Galveston hurricane killed 8,000 to 12,000 people. Some towns continued to be isolated and delivery of relief supplies including food and water were hampered—helicopters were the only alternative. [33], The outer rainbands of Maria produced heavy rainfall and strong gusts across the southern Windward Islands. [84] The combination of rough seas and winds was responsible for widespread structural damage and flooding throughout the archipelago, especially from Pointe-à-Pitre, along Grand-Terre Island's southwestern coast, to Petit-Bourg and the southern coasts on Basse-Terre Island. [203][dubious – discuss], FEMA was a major supplier of relief in the form of bereavement, food, and other emergency supplies, as well as rebuilding some homes. [136], Two weeks after the hurricane, international relief organization Oxfam chose to intervene for the first time on American soil since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. "[185] In response to a request for clarification on the tweet from Governor Rosselló, John F. Kelly assured that no resources were being pulled and replied: "Our country will stand with those American citizens in Puerto Rico until the job is done". [211] About 60% of households that applied for FEMA assistance have been rejected, primarily for lack of proof of ownership. Researchers pored over tens of thousands of death certificates and interviewed scores of doctors to reach the 2,975 death toll for Hurricane Maria. [264] The company contracted more than 300 personnel, most of them subcontractors, and sent them to the island to carry out work. [15], Entering the Caribbean Sea, Maria weakened slightly to a Category 4 hurricane due to land interaction with the island of Dominica, however it quickly restrengthened to a Category 5 hurricane and attained its peak intensity with winds of 175 mph (280 km/h) and a pressure of 908 mbar (hPa; 26.81 inHg) at 03:00 UTC on September 20 while southeast of Puerto Rico; this ranks it as the tenth-most intense Atlantic hurricane since reliable records began. [127], The power grid was effectively destroyed by the hurricane, leaving millions without electricity. Care packages were coming in to Puerto Rico from all over and USPS hired temporary workers and had workers delivering packages 7 days a week, to help with the brunt. The study looked at the fatalities caused by the storm in many different aspects, not just the initial death toll when the storm pushed through the country. After almost a week of not being updated, Puerto Rico's death toll from Hurricane Maria climbed to 36. [7] Widespread flooding affected San Juan, waist-deep in some areas, and numerous structures lost their roof. ",[258] prompting further criticism from lawmakers in both parties;[259] Mayor Cruz replied, "You are incapable of empathy and frankly simply cannot get the job done. The historic flooding topped levees, burying New Orleans and displacing hundreds of thousands of Southerners. Inadequate safety mechanisms also plagued Puerto Rico's electric company, and local newspapers frequently reported on its poor maintenance and outdated control systems. [77][78] Outside the capital area, the worst of the destruction was concentrated around the east coast and rural areas, where collapsed roads and bridges isolated many villages. [221] A two-week investigation in November 2017 by CNN of 112 funeral homes—approximately half of the island—found 499  deaths that were said to be hurricane-related between September 20 and October 19. [100], On September 24, Puerto Rico's Governor Ricardo Rosselló estimated that the damage from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico was probably over the $8 billion damage figure from Hurricane Georges. The island is devastated. [163] Massive amounts of water, food, and fuel either had been delivered to ports in Puerto Rico or were held up at ports in the mainland United States because there was a lack of truck drivers to move the goods into the interior; the lack of communication networks hindered the effort as only 20% of drivers reported to work. [79] Settlements in Saint David Parish, such as Castle Bruce, Good Hope and Grand Fond, had been practically eradicated; many homes hung off cliffs or decoupled from their foundations. [113], Maria's Category 4 winds broke a 96-foot (29 m) line feed antenna of the Arecibo Observatory, causing it to fall 500 feet (150 m) and puncturing the dish below, greatly reducing its ability to function until repairs could be made. Martin's foundation had raised over three million dollars by October 13, 2017. A complete replacement of fossil fuel infrastructure is unlikely as solar and wind are too intermittent and are also vulnerable to another hurricane. Internally, there was an influx of people into San Juan. In August 2005, 1,833 people died when Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida and Alabama. [254][255] While in Puerto Rico, Trump also distributed canned goods and paper towels to crowds gathered at a relief shelter[256] and told the residents of the devastated island "I hate to tell you, Puerto Rico, but you've thrown our budget a little out of whack, because we've spent a lot of money on Puerto Rico, and that's fine. [86] The islands of Marie-Galante, La Désirade and especially Les Saintes bore the brunt of the winds, which caused heavy damage to structures and nature alike and cut the islands off from their surroundings for several days. [200] Another large-scale blackout occurred on April 12 from a line failure. [87] On the mainland, sections of Pointe-à-Pitre stood under more than 3.3 feet (1 m) of water, and the city's hospital sustained significant damage.

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