Hurricane Maria was the most deadly storm in America since 1900
The final death toll in Puerto Rico was more than a hundred times the initial estimate
WITH vicious winds gusting at 120mph, the hurricane that made landfall in Puerto Rico on September 20th 2017 was expected to be deadly. Hurricane Maria wrought destruction across the island, cutting power, communications and drinking water to nearly every home. Yet most of the 3.3m islanders appeared to escape the worst fate: two weeks later, the official death toll reported by the island’s government was just 16 people.
This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “Counting”
From the September 1st 2018 edition
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