Hurricane Maria killed thousands—experts want to prevent a repeat
The storm caused one of the longest blackouts in U.S. history and ultimately killed thousands of people across Puerto Rico
Hurricane Maria was a generational tragedy for the people of Puerto Rico. The storm struck the Caribbean island as a major hurricane in September 2017, a devastating blow that ultimately killed thousands of people.
Maria’s landfall only marked the beginning of the suffering. Widespread infrastructure collapse in the hurricane’s wake left most residents without power for months.
A detailed investigation into the disaster wants to answer two questions: why did the storm kill so many people, and what can officials do next time to minimize casualties and suffering?
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Hurricane Maria was the second scale-topping Category 5 storm of the blockbuster 2017 Atlantic season. The large and powerful storm slammed into Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017, as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds as high as 225 km/h.
Officials with the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) were tasked with the tall order of investigating the storm’s impacts and aftermath across Puerto Rico—and finding out what can be done differently to prevent a repeat during future storms.
While the final report won’t come out until 2026, the NIST recently released their preliminary findings about failures during and after the storm, as well as recommendations for improvements going forward.
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The hurricane’s landfall “set off a cascade of building and infrastructure failures across Puerto Rico,” the preliminary report stated. Puerto Rico suffered more than $90 billion (USD) in damages during the storm.
Maria brought more than 760 mm of rain to some communities, triggering more than 40,000 landslides and widespread flooding across the island.
Most of Puerto Rico’s weather stations failed, as did the U.S. National Weather Service’s Doppler radar site near the town of Cayey.
Hurricanes are as much societal calamities as they are natural disasters. Hazards don’t cease when the wind, rain, and storm surge stop. Hard-hit communities continue to face power outages, lack of food and water, outbreaks of disease, and other negative effects following a major storm.
Despite the destruction, the NIST’s investigation found that only about one-tenth of Maria’s nearly 3,000 fatalities occurred during the storm itself. The vast majority of casualties occurred long after the storm departed.
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“The most common causes of death were noncommunicable medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and kidney disease, as those who suffered from these conditions had difficulty obtaining the medical care they needed,” the preliminary report stated.
What can officials do to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future?
According to the preliminary report, some of the likely recommendations include higher building standards to endure the winds of a major hurricane landfall, as well as higher standards to deal with evacuees before the storm and refugees after the storm.
The experts also plan to propose that essential facilities like hospitals have reliable back-up generators to maintain elevators and air conditioning during power blackouts.
“These changes will be important for hurricane-prone regions throughout the U.S., not just Puerto Rico,” the NIST said.
The investigation also found that preparation really is key ahead of even the most severe storm.
"Businesses, schools and hospitals that prepared before Hurricane Maria were able to resume operations more quickly afterward," the agency found. "Preparations included preestablished emergency plans, designated risk mitigation funds, and backup power sources."
Header image of Hurricane Maria courtesy of NASA.