Remembering Hurricane María: the data behind the devastation

The aftermath revealed deep vulnerabilities in the island’s infrastructure and response systems, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis and leading to a controversial assessment of the storm’s death toll, with estimates of lives lost reaching 4,645.

Hurricane María was Puerto Rico’s most devastating natural disaster in modern history. The storm brought sustained winds of up to 155 mph and torrential rainfall, leading to widespread flooding and landslides. It knocked out telecommunication and power to the entire island, resulting in a prolonged blackout that lasted for months, affecting many residents. 

Roads, hospitals, schools, and homes were severely damaged or destroyed, leaving thousands homeless and disrupting access to clean water, health care, and essential services. 

The aftermath revealed deep vulnerabilities in the island’s infrastructure and response systems, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis and leading to a controversial assessment of the storm’s death toll, with estimates of lives lost reaching 4,645.

4

Hurricane María made landfall in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, on Sept. 20, 2017, as a Category 4 storm with winds of 155 mph, just shy of Category 5. (Category 5 consists of storms with sustained winds of at least 157 mph.) The island was already in a vulnerable state when María hit, as it was still recovering from Hurricane Irma, which struck two weeks earlier.

48

For 48 hours, Hurricane María dumped 15 to 20 inches of rain in most areas, with some spots receiving even higher amounts. Thirty rivers in Puerto Rico reached major flood stage, and 13 of those reached or exceeded record-flood stage. In Toa Baja, part of the San Juan metropolitan area, families awaited rescue from their rooftops after La Plata River flooded the valley, according to NOAA.

1,067,618

Hurricanes Irma and María caused damage to an estimated 1,067,618 homes, according to FEMA Individual Assistance Program. The billions promised in recovery funds were slow to arrive, and as a result, thousands of damaged homes remained covered in blue tarps years after the storm hit. Complicating matters further, the local housing authority established eligibility criteria that excluded thousands of families from assistance, NPR reported.

3.4 million

María decimated Puerto Rico’s power grid, leaving the island’s 3.4 million residents completely in the dark. In addition, it severely damaged 95% of Puerto Rico’s cell towers, cutting off communication for residents. Five months after the storm, a quarter of the island’s residents still lacked electricity.

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Less than 8% of roads were open a month after the hurricane. The storm wiped out entire roads, and left others impassable due to structural damage to buildings, road signs, and traffic lights.

90 billion

In addition to destroying countless homes, buildings, and infrastructure, Hurricane María devastated the island’s agricultural industry, severely impacting its plantain, banana, and coffee farms, and destroying 90% of the island’s poultry. In total, it’s estimated that María caused at least $90 billion in losses, the The New York Times reported.

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Storm surge inundation as high as 9 ft above ground level occurred along the southeastern coast, and flash flooding stemming from floodgate releases at La Plata Lake Dam converged on the town of Toa Baja, trapping thousands of residents. Survivors indicate that flood waters rose at least 6 ft in 30 minutes in some areas. More than 2,000 people were rescued, and at least eight people died in the floods, while many are unaccounted for.

4645

The exact death toll has been a source of controversy on the island, as it remains unknown. The Puerto Rican government initially said the storm was responsible for 64 deaths, but later revised the estimate to nearly 3,000 fatalities. Harvard researchers calculated that 4,645 people had died because of the storm. That number became an emblem of the people’s struggles and suffering in the aftermath of the storm, NPR reported.

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