3 Lessons from Puerto Rico: Mitigating the Health Effects of Future Hurricanes

Nearly one year after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, the official death toll for the disaster stands at 64. However, a new study, published Tuesday in The New England Journal of Medicine, estimates that at least 4,645 people have died as a consequence of the storm. That is more than 70 times the official estimate. Perhaps most worrisome, it is not at all clear that we are taking steps to mitigate the consequences of future hurricanes. This observation, as a new hurricane season is about to begin, should give us all pause. With this in mind, what are lessons we can learn from Hurricane Maria, to better prepare us for future disasters? There are three: (1) Communities should be ready to handle the full range of health consequences of these disasters. (2) Efforts to shore up basic infrastructure must happen before hurricanes hit. (3) We must invest in human capital well in advance of disasters.