Hurricane Maria

Hurricane Maria formed as a tropical storm on September 16, 2017, near the Lesser Antilles and was rapidly classified as a hurricane by the next day. Its rapid intensification was partly due to very warm sea surface temperatures and low wind shear. Maria was the eighteenth named storm, tenth hurricane, and fourth major hurricane of the hyperactive 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, following closely on the heels of Hurricanes Irma, Jose, and Harvey.

On September 18, 2017, Hurricane Maria made landfall on Dominica as a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (260 km/h). It was the first Category 5 hurricane to strike Dominica on record. The storm caused widespread devastation, destroying homes, cutting off electricity and communications, and leading to multiple fatalities. The prime minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit, declared that the island had lost all that 'money can buy and replace.'

Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017, as a high-end Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph (250 km/h). It was the strongest storm to hit the island since 1928, and it caused catastrophic damage. The hurricane's strong winds and heavy rainfall led to worldwide power outages and the failure of the island's entire electrical grid. Maria also caused widespread flooding and destruction of infrastructure, homes, and the agricultural sector.

The aftermath of Hurricane Maria's landfall on September 21, 2017, left Puerto Rico's infrastructure in shambles. The island faced a humanitarian crisis as nearly all of the 3.4 million residents were left without power and access to clean water. Communication systems were severely disrupted, and roads were impassable. The lack of electricity and resources led to difficulties in coordinating relief efforts, exacerbating the problems faced by the population.

Ten days after Hurricane Maria's devastating impact, Puerto Rico was still struggling with recovery efforts. The majority of the island remained without power, and essential services such as water supply, medical care, and transportation were severely disrupted. Many communities were isolated, and residents faced shortages of food, water, and fuel. The local government, along with federal aid and international assistance, worked to address the critical needs and begin rebuilding.

President Donald Trump visited Puerto Rico on October 3, 2017, to assess the damage and recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria. The visit was met with mixed reactions, as Trump praised the efforts of FEMA and local authorities but also faced criticism for his response to the crisis. During a briefing, Trump compared the death toll favorably to that of Hurricane Katrina and controversially tossed paper towels into a crowd, actions that were both criticized and defended by different parties.

Efforts to restore Puerto Rico's power grid faced significant challenges nearly a month after Hurricane Maria. On October 11, 2017, only 10% of the island had electricity, highlighting the slow progress and logistical difficulties in restoring power. The electrical grid sustained massive damage, and concerns grew over the contracting process for repairs, particularly regarding the small Montana-based company Whitefish Energy, raising questions about transparency and efficacy.

On November 29, 2017, Puerto Rican authorities increased the official death toll from Hurricane Maria from 55 to 64, although independent investigations indicated the true number could be much higher. Reports and studies suggested that the initial count did not fully account for deaths related to the lack of medical care and other indirect effects resulting from the collapse of infrastructure. As data was reassessed, the recognition of unreported or underreported fatalities remained an ongoing issue.

On March 28, 2018, Puerto Rico experienced a massive island-wide blackout that underscored the fragility of its power grid post-Hurricane Maria. The outage affected millions and highlighted the ongoing struggles to stabilize electricity supply. Crews worked diligently to restore power, but the event drew attention to the inadequate and slow recovery efforts, sparking debates among local authorities, residents, and federal agencies about improving infrastructure resilience against future disasters.

A Harvard University study published on May 29, 2018, estimated that Hurricane Maria caused as many as 4,645 deaths in Puerto Rico. This figure was significantly higher than the government’s official count at the time. The study, based on household surveys and statistical models, considered factors such as loss of infrastructure and healthcare failures. This brought international attention to the scale of the catastrophe and pushed for more comprehensive evaluations of the disaster's impact.

On August 28, 2018, Puerto Rico raised its official death toll from Hurricane Maria to 2,975 after the release of a study by George Washington University. The new estimate considered the excess mortality rate in the aftermath of the hurricane, which included deaths from the loss of medical services, clean water, and electricity. This increase marked a stark contrast to the initially reported numbers and reflected a more accurate picture of the extensive impact Maria had on Puerto Rican communities.