The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health’s groundbreaking study on excess deaths linked to Hurricane Maria changed the way researchers track deaths after natural disasters—providing a roadmap for uncovering the true impact of COVID-19 in communities today.
Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico in September 2017 as a Category 4 storm—the first hurricane of that size to hit the island in 85 years. The Puerto Rican government commissioned GW to uncover excess deaths linked to the hurricane. Researchers published an independent report in August 2018 that estimated there were 2,975 excess deaths in Puerto Rico due to Hurricane Maria between September 2017 and February 2018—a number significantly higher than what had been previously reported. In partnership with the University of Puerto Rico, GW researchers spent months completing interviews with people on the island and in-depth statistical analyses to learn about the circumstances leading up to individual deaths.
“This was an extremely important piece of work at the time to everyone in Puerto Rico who was affected by Hurricane Maria,” said Lynn R. Goldman, the Michael and Lori Milken Dean of the Milken Institute SPH. “I'm very proud of how we were able to assemble the data and the best science in short order.”
Milken SPH leaders and researchers gathered virtually on Monday to kick off National Public Health Week with a GW bicentennial event, a screening of the documentary film, "Fearless Science," about the school’s Hurricane Maria research.