The Politics of Disaster
This is a follow-up on my Hurricane Maria post. In recent days, a study conducted by a research team from Harvard University made plain what most people already knew: the death toll in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria was higher than the official tally of 64. Much higher. The study found the death toll could be 4.645 dead in the aftermath of the hurricane, as light, water and cellular services were interrupted in the wake of the storm. Thankfully, my partner and I were able to get most of my family off the island, and they--as many other Puerto Ricans--have decided to stay, leaving their lives there behind. In that respect, we have been very fortunate. My family was able to avoid the uncertainties of, say, Puerto Ricans granted vouchers to stay in hotels and motels in Florida and Connecticut. Overall, my family has been very fortunate, compared to many other Puerto Ricans. Why...