According to new research, the tragic impact of Hurricane Maria lingered for months after the storm hit Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017, and at far greater magnitude than the federal government has acknowledged.
"Two months after Hurricane Maria ripped through Puerto Rico, scores of people were still dying in its aftermath," reports Milton Carrero.
Alexis Santos, a demographer at Pennsylvania State University, conducted the analysis with data from the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics. Santos places the total number of deaths in September, October, and November at 1,230.
The number of deaths caused by Hurricane Maria raises troubling questions about the federal government's approach to the storm. As Carrero explains, "[w]hen President Trump visited Puerto Rico two weeks after the storm, he used the official death toll of 16 as evidence that his administration had been highly effective in dealing with the tragedy." The federal government has since adjusted the death toll, eventually maxing out the number at its current level of 64 on December 9. Obviously, Santos's research stands as a stark rebuttal of the government's narrative about the fallout from the storm.
The federal government's lack of attention to the lasting effects of the storm also stand in contrast to the creation of the Mayor Exchange, which Kristin Musulin reports will "connect mayors of U.S. mainland cities with mayors in Puerto Rico for guidance and support in rebuilding the island following Hurricane Maria."
"An estimated 40 mayors are expected to participate in the Exchange in the coming weeks, including Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez," according to Musulin, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu has already been paired with Ponce Mayor Maria Meléndez.
FULL STORY: Puerto Rico deaths related to Hurricane Maria continued for months after the storm, data suggest
The East Coast's 'Bomb Cyclone' and Climate Change
When President Trump tweeted that the East Coast needed global warming due to the freezing cold, experts responded by explaining the difference between weather and climate. But climate change may indeed be a cause of the bomb cyclone.
The High Cost of Climate Disasters
Extreme weather events in the United States cost $165 billion and killed more than 474 people last year.
Winter Storm Knocks Out Drinking Water Systems in the South, Including in Jackson
Jackson, Mississippi made headlines and incurred a civil rights investigation earlier this year when flooding knocked out the city’s drinking water supply. This week’s winter storm had the same effect on Jackson as well as other Southern cities.
Redesigning Streets for Livability: A Global View
An excerpt from the introduction of the recent book, “Streets For All: 50 Strategies for Shaping Resilient Cities,” edited by Vinayak Bharne and Shyam Khandekar.
The Right to Mobility
As we consider how to decarbonize transportation, preserving mobility, especially for lower- and middle-income people, must be a priority.
Bend Eliminates Parking Minimums
The city is complying with an Oregon state mandate that some cities have challenged in court.
How To Prevent ‘Green Gentrification:’ Lessons from the BeltLine
For one author, the key is focusing on affordable housing from the start.
Push and Pull: The Link Between Walkability and Affordability
The increased demand for walkable urban spaces could make them more and more exclusionary if cities don’t pursue policies to limit displacement and boost affordability.
El Paso Freeway Cap Linked to Road Expansion
A deck reconnecting neighborhoods divided by the interstate is part of a controversial freeway expansion proposal.
Town of Reading
Meridian Consultants
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Piedmont, CA
City of Morganton
St. Louis County, MO
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
