Trump, the golf-playing president. Photo: Gage Skidmore–Flickr
New York’s governor Andrew Cuomo and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. have sharply attacked the Trump Administration’s Hurricane Maria relief effort as “unconscionable” following a new study that places the death toll at 2,975.
The powerful hurricane devastated Puerto Rico between September 16 and October 2, 2017.
The study was conducted by independent researchers from George Washington University and estimated the number of deaths in the six months following the storm.
“The new independent death toll estimate for Hurricane Maria is a shocking reminder of the devastating impact of the storm — the deadliest in the U.S. in a century,” Governor Cuomo said. “The study confirms that the most vulnerable populations were hardest hit, and that the federal government failed the people of Puerto Rico in their time of need.”
“In New York, we have stood with our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico from the beginning of this crisis, and we will walk with them every step of the way down the long path to recovery,” Cuomo added. “We recently completed the New York Stands with Puerto Rico Recovery and Rebuilding Initiative, and we will continue to support Puerto Rico until she is stronger and more resilient than before.”
The Bronx Borough President Diaz said: “As more data is being compiled, we are getting a clearer picture of the devastation left behind by Hurricane Maria. With each passing day, we are becoming more aware of the fact that the original estimates of the storm’s devastation were so grossly underestimated, worse than we could have imagined, that they were essentially useless.
“That the Trump Administration ever dared to claim that only 64 people died as a result of Hurricane Maria insults the intelligence of any rational person. And the truly sad part is that the figures presented by George Washington University’s Milken School of Public Health may still be underestimating how many died as a result of this natural disaster.
“It is unconscionable how President Trump and his administration responded to Hurricane Maria. This is President Trump’s Katrina. The administration’s failure throughout the ongoing recovery of Puerto Rico, how they have treated the American citizens of Puerto Rico compared to those in Texas or Florida, is a stain on this nation.”
