Velázquez Comments on Harvard Puerto Rico Death Toll Study

Washington, DC- Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) commented today on a new analysis by Harvard University that suggests the death toll from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico could exceed 4,000 people:

"By undercounting fatalities, the true impact of Maria was concealed. By obscuring this, many were left to believe the Trump Administration's mythology that Puerto Rico was not hit hard by Maria. Now, we are seeing further evidence of what many of us have long maintained – that Maria was an epic disaster. If these estimates are accurate, they would mean Maria's devastation ranks among the most deadly disasters in U.S. history.

"We must get to the bottom of this discrepancy. In December of last year, amid widespread concern that the Government of Puerto Rico had vastly undercounted the death toll from Maria, Ranking Member Thompson and I requested that the Government Accountability Office review the official death count in Puerto Rico. I continue working with GAO in asking the agency to determine how the Commonwealth's government originally arrived at such a low number.

"After the Trump Administration's woefully inadequate response, Puerto Rico continues to face a long, difficult path to recovery – one that these new death estimates underscore. Congress and all federal agencies need an accurate accounting of the scope of the devastation to direct adequate resources for recovery. And now, with the 2018 hurricane season upon us, we must take immediate steps to ensure that life-saving medical resources are available throughout the Island."

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