Independent researchers from the George Washington University have estimated that 2,975 died in Puerto Rico in the six months following Hurricane Maria in 2017 – a far cry from the government's original official death toll of 64. The authors of the study also found that individuals in low-income areas and elderly men were most at risk for death on the island from September 2017 through February 2018.

The researchers' findings had been much anticipated. Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló ordered the George Washington University study in February in the face of mounting public pressure over his administration's failure to adequately count the number of deaths in the storm's aftermath.

"The results of our epidemiological study suggest that, tragically, Hurricane Maria led to a large number of excess deaths throughout the island," said Dr. Carlos Santos-Burgoa, the principal investigator of the project and a professor of global health at George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. "We hope this report and its recommendations will help build the island's resilience and pave the way toward a plan that will protect all sectors of society in times of natural disasters."

In the aftermath of the catastrophic storm, which tore through Puerto Rico last September, the government's official death toll has held steady at 64, despite several academic assessments that asserted that the official death count does not come close to the actual one. The government of Puerto Rico even acknowledged that figure was likely inaccurate and would be adjusted once the George Washington researchers completed their analysis.

[link to publichealth.gwu.edu (secure)]

Because the rest of the story is bullshit. A bunch of liberals wanted to add "secondary deaths" to the offical death toll just as a way to bash Trump....which is exactly whats happening.

they never did this Obama