![]() Source: GAO analysis of Federal Emergency Management Agency data. Information on Funeral Assistance in Florida, Texas, and Puerto Rico for Hurricanes Irma, Harvey, and Maria in 2017, as of March 2019 ![]() Florida and Texas did not need similar support as they did not face similar challenges as Puerto Rico.įEMA approved a total of 976 out of 4,802 Funeral Assistance applications in Florida, Texas, and Puerto Rico, as of March 2019 (see table). The study estimated 2,975 excess deaths due to the hurricane as of August 2018, which is Puerto’s Rico’s current official death count.įederal agencies-the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the departments of Health and Human Services, Veteran Affairs, and Defense-supported Puerto Rico by providing cold storage equipment and other resources to help with disaster-related deaths. Subsequently, because disruptions from Hurricane Maria made it difficult for Puerto Rico to identify the number of hurricane-related deaths, Puerto Rico commissioned a study by George Washington University on the number of observed deaths compared to expected deaths had the hurricane not occurred. Puerto Rico officials initially reported 65 deaths in December 2017 directly related to Maria. However, Puerto Rico officials stated that damaged roads and power outages led to delays and impacted their ability to identify and document deaths related to Hurricane Maria. Florida and Texas officials told GAO the hurricanes did not impact their capacities to complete death certificates. ![]() In Puerto Rico, physicians or medical officers were to complete death certificates, but in cases where cause of death was unknown, medical examiners at a central facility in San Juan completed the certificate. As of July 2019, Florida and Texas reported 84 and 94 deaths that were related to hurricanes Irma and Harvey, respectively. In Florida and Texas, medical examiners or other personnel were to complete death certificates. Florida, Texas, and Puerto Rico reported that they followed their local processes to identify and document deaths related to hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria in 2017.
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