Hurricane Maria’s Devastation Remembered on Its Anniversary

San Juan, Puerto Rico – September 20 marks the anniversary of Hurricane Maria, which struck Puerto Rico in 2017 with catastrophic force. Making landfall as a Category 4 storm, Maria unleashed winds of up to 155 mph, leading to widespread destruction and leaving the entire island without power.

In the months following the hurricane, nearly 3,000 additional deaths were attributed to the storm’s aftermath. An independent study by George Washington University revealed that 2,975 excess deaths occurred between September 2017 and February 2018 due to health care disruptions and infrastructure failures.

Maria formed as a tropical wave off Africa’s coast, developing into a hurricane on September 17, 2017. It intensified rapidly and struck Dominica before targeting Puerto Rico on September 20. The storm caused not only physical destruction but also severe impacts on health care, leading to many deaths from preventable causes.

“This hurricane highlighted the fragility of our infrastructure and how quickly a natural hazard can lead to a mass-casualty disaster,” said local officials reflecting on the tragedy. Over 80% of the island’s crops were destroyed, with extensive damage to homes, hospitals, and essential services.

Recovery efforts have struggled since Maria’s landfall. Criticism mounted over the underreporting of deaths and challenges in restoring power and services. Numerous households faced months without electricity, marking the longest blackout in U.S. history.

The name “Maria” was retired by the World Meteorological Organization in 2018, indicating the storm’s deadly legacy and the toll it took on the island. Puerto Rico is still grappling with recovery, as many residents continue to face rolling blackouts and inadequate infrastructure.