Over 1,000 (one thousand!) people have died in Puerto Rico (above the average death rate) in the first three months after Hurricane Maria (through November). So far we only have data for the first three months—September, October and November. There is no information on the causes of death so far but Puerto Rico’s Center for Investigative Journalism has sued the government for the cause of death data.
Even in November, the latest month for which we have data, there were still 115 more deaths than usual. Although we don’t yet know the causes of these deaths, is there any doubt that the government’s poor response to the devastation played a major role? The lack of shelter, drinking water, food, electricity and adequate medical care, I’m sure have all played a roll. The “official” death toll of course has stayed at 62.
Keep in mind that these deaths, over and above the usual number of deaths for the time of year, occurred even though the population was shrinking due to outmigration to the mainland.
The total number of deaths above average in September, October and November was 1,230, according to Alexis Santos, a demographer at Pennsylvania State University who obtained the data from the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics and conducted an analysis that he released to the Los Angeles Times this week.
Of those deaths, 491 occurred in September and 584 in October — figures very close to estimates Santos published late last year based on more limited data.
The new analysis shows the higher death rate continued into November, the most recent month for which he obtained figures, with 155 more than average
www.latimes.com/...
Keep in mind that these death “overages” occurred despite the overall shrinking of the population.
@#$&*%#$&*
In Texas meanwhile, with a much larger population,
Hurricane Harvey, for example, killed about 60 people in the Houston area and then another 26 due to “unsafe or unhealthy conditions” related to the loss or disruption of services such as utilities, transportation and medical care. Nobody was still dying a month later.
www.motherjones.com/...
Is this any way to treat US citizens?!?
This administration has blood on its hands!