In the aftermath of the devastating storm, which barreled into Puerto Rico last September, Puerto Rico's government initially reported
64 deaths blamed on the hurricane. Since then, several studies have indicated the actual death toll was much higher, though researchers have arrived at a range of different figures.
In May, a Harvard University study said Maria was
likely responsible for more than 4,600 deaths from the day of the storm, September 20, until December 31, 2017 — a figure that was based on results of a door-to-door survey of 3,299 randomly selected homes across the island. Earlier this month,
Puerto Rico said in a report to Congress there were 1,427 more deaths "than normal" in the four months after Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Irma, which churned on a path just north of the island two weeks before Maria hit. That report said, however, those 1,427 deaths "may or may not be attributable to the hurricanes.
"The latest study says that from the period ranging from September to December 2017 alone, there were an excess of 2,098 deaths, and 2,975 from September 2017 through February 2018."2,975 — it's 2,975 people who suffered," Mercader said.
AT THIS RATE OF INCREASE BY NEXT SPRING 10,000 WILL HAVE DIED......