Mailing List Archive

Four years since Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rick/US Virgin Islands
Wednesday, September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico with
sustained winds of 155 mph. An estimated 2,975 people died in PR, 3 in
USVI, and 81 the other parts of the carribean. It caused over $90 billion
in property damage.

The Puerto Rico power grid was effectively destroyed by the hurricane,
leaving millions without electricity. It still has not been fully
restored, with rolling blackouts still occuring. Over 95% of the islands
had no cell service, and other telecommunications service was limited
mostly to San Juan metro area. Only a handful of radio stations were
still operating.

Only about $18 billion of the $63 billion allocated by Congress for
disaster relief and recovery has actually been disbursed. Most of the
remaining funds are not expected to be disbursed until after fiscal year
2025.