Hurricane Maria

• location

  Puerto Rico
• when

  20th September 2017
• hurricane facts

  category 4 storm

  winds speeds of 155km/hr

  96.5cm rainfall

  storm surge 1.8-2.7m
• factors that made puerto rico vunerable

  island

  1/2 of Puerto Ricans live below the poverty line

  less than 1% homeowners had insurance

  hurricane Irma 2 weeks prior meant reduced emergency supplies
• social impacts

  65 direct death, 2,975 indirect

  poorest residents disproportionately affected

  many were still without power 6 months after the storm
• economic impacts

  cost $90 billion in damages (3rd costliest in US history)

  80% of islands crop value wiped out
• evironmental impacts

  30% of all trees destroyed

  increased nitrate in the water -> blue baby syndrome
• preperation

  NHC moitored the storm and issued a warning

  Fema was unprepared as their emergency warehouse was emptied a couple of weeks ago for another storm
• relief

  5000 tarps provided 9 days after but 10s of thousands were needed

  10,000 federal defense staff deployed 9 days after the storm (1/2 trainees or unqualified)
• reconstruction

  FEMA supplies moved slowly

  Nov 2017: 60% still without power and 20% without water
• rehabilitation

  FEMA provided $33,300 to provide victims with assistance to repair their homes but only 1/2 who applied have recieved anything due to lack of required property records

  Mercy Corps distributed 5000 solar laterns and 2500 water filters