This number, however, is "highly uncertain" notes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). A new study published Tuesday in The New England Journal of Medicine puts that number at an estimated 4,645 — 70 times higher than the official estimate.*
"Our results indicate that the official death count of 64 is a substantial underestimate of the true burden of mortality after Hurricane Maria," write the authors, led by researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Read more...