According to NY Magazine, Hurricane Maria’s official death toll in Puerto Rico stands at 64 — but a new study from researchers at Harvard suggests that figure is off by at least 4,581.
Under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines, a hurricane’s death toll comprises not only the number of lives lost to the storm’s immediate impact (as a result of flooding, flying debris, etc.), but also those lost as a result of shortages in material goods and medical services induced by the natural disaster. And it has long been obvious that the devastation wrought by Maria killed far more than 64 Puerto Ricans.