Less than half of residents had their power restored two months after the storm had passed. The storm left thousands of families without homes and destroyed some communities entirely.įor months, most families and businesses remained without power, cell phone service was limited, and clean water, food, medicine and fuel were all in very short supply - for some, the struggle to access such basic essentials is still a daily reality.
While the official death toll is 64 people, recent analysis suggests the storm might have resulted in more than 1,000 fatalities. The scale of Maria’s destruction has been devastating, causing as much as $94 billion in damage - a crippling toll for an island that was already billions of dollars in debt.īut the effects of the storm will undoubtedly be felt most by the people themselves. People are committed to building back better than before the storm. The effect on Puerto Rican families - and the island’s infrastructure - will take many years to heal.ĭespite the challenges, people are coming together to help their neighbors in any way they can - whether by clearing debris or even passing on food aid to those who need it more. Hurricane Maria is the worst storm to hit Puerto Rico in over 80 years, and arrived only two weeks after Hurricane Irma passed just north of the island and left 1 million people without power. Some Puerto Ricans were forced to cross swollen rivers after bridges collapsed to reach businesses where they could buy water and gas. Less than one percent of homeowners had flood insurance. In some areas, floodwaters were waist-high - more than 30 inches deep - and often sewage-ridden.
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Heavy rains and flash floods brought on by the storm exacerbated widespread devastation, turning streets into rivers full of debris. Electricity was cut off to 100% of the island, and access to clean water and food became limited for most. The powerful Category 4 storm plowed across the island with sustained winds of 155 mph, uprooting trees, downing weather stations and cell towers, and ripping wooden and tin roofs off homes. Maria first made landfall near the southeastern town of Yabucoa. What happened when Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico? Read on for more about how Puerto Rico has been affected by the storm, what Mercy Corps and partners are doing, and how you can help.
And the 2018 hurricane season will be here before we know it. But they still need a lot of support, from basic essentials, electricity, and clean water to the hard, long-term work of recovery. Many others will stay to help Puerto Rico recover. citizens, have left home and arrived in the continental U.S. More than 200,000 Puerto Ricans, who are U.S. The damaging effect of Hurricane Maria - the worst storm to strike the island in over 80 years - will haunt residents for many years to come. Almost half of residents lived below the poverty line. The archipelago had already been facing a recession for over a decade before Hurricanes Irma and Maria hit. It’s known for its white sand beaches, the historic city of Old San Juan, and El Yunque National Forest. Puerto Rico, officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is an island territory of the United States, located in the northeast Caribbean Sea. On the morning of Wednesday, September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico, devastating the island and plunging all of its 3.4 million residents into a desperate humanitarian crisis. Filed by: Emma Schwartz, Information Officer